The action by social media giant, Twitter, against BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra is a vindication of the Congress stand that the BJP spreads ‘false propaganda and lies’, the principal Opposition party said on Friday.
Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, addressing an online press conference jointly with senior spokesperson Pawan Khera, responded to Twitter flagging one of Mr. Patra’s posts regarding an alleged Congress toolkit as ‘manipulated media’.
“The Congress’ stand has been validated by this Twitter action itself. What the Congress has been telling for the last so many days, so many years about BJP’s false propaganda and spreading lies is actually validated by this single incident itself,” Mr. Venugopal said.
Government asks Twitter to remove ‘manipulated media’ tag fom tweets related to ‘Congress toolkit’
“The action by Twitter proves forgery of the highest order... The world should see and realise how India’s ruling party is playing fraud in the middle of a pandemic. Instead of discharging their responsibilities, they are trying to stop others who are working for the people. The Congress is determined to respond to these photoshopped attacks,” Mr. Khera added.
For the past four days, the Congress and BJP have been involved in a bitter war of words after Mr. Patra shared a document on the micro-blogging site which he claimed was a Congress ‘toolkit’ to destroy Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image.
Social media volunteers of the Congress were instructed to refer to the mutant coronavirus during the second wave as “Modi Strain” or the “Indian Strain”, Mr. Patra had claimed.
Countering Mr. Patra, the Congress had filed a complaint against top BJP leaders including party chief J.P. Nadda, Union Minister Smriti Irani, organising secretary B.L. Santosh and Mr. Patra for alleged forgery and claimed that a letterhead of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Research Department had been ‘forged to make a fake document’.
“I could have demanded action from the BJP president but what action can one expect if he himself is involved in peddling lies,” Mr. Venugopal said.
Twitter flags Sambit Patra’s tweet on Congress ‘toolkit’ as manipulated media
Following the Twitter action, AICC Research wing head, Rajeev Gowda tweeted, “BJP’s toolkit exposed — Mantris & leaders used FORGED “COVID19 Mismanagement” document to divert attention from how Modi Sarkar failed India during pandemic. Enough of your fakery. You liars have zero credibility. RESIGN!”
In his response, Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor said on Twitter, “Why’s anyone surprised with “manipulated media”? We all know that “manipulated media” is in fact BJP”s specialty. Just turn on your news channels.”
