The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has claimed to be in possession of a “Congress toolkit” where the thrust is to use the Coronavirus pandemic and “destroy” the image of prime minister Narendra Modi who, it claims continues to enjoy high popularity among masses.
The alleged “toolkit” also stresses that no opportunity be lost by its workers and supporters on social media to term Kumbh Mela as the “super-spreader” of virus, and to term the present strain as “Indian Strain”, or “Modi Strain” and the help of foreign journalists be sought to portray India’s wretched position during the 2nd Wave of the virus.
The Congress, meanwhile has called the allegations as a fake narrative and denied the existence of any such toolkit.
When country was in the midst of a health crisis & every single unit of society from an individual to administration were rising up to the challenge , here was @INCIndia spreading fake , negative news & stirring up discontent . Disgusting . #CongressToolkitExposed pic.twitter.com/L5OWbIAvHN
— B L Santhosh (@blsanthosh) May 18, 2021
The toolkit which first appeared in Organiser, the RSS mouthpiece, is a four-page document tin which Congress party workers are asked to “use dramatic pictures of the funerals and dead bodies” while lamenting that “PM Modi’s approval ratings have been high and have not dipped despite the crisis and mismanagement.”
The alleged toolkit states: “It is important to keep using the term super-spreader Kumbh” to keep reminding the people that it is the Hindu politics of the BJP that is causing so much distress.”
“Liaise with foreign journalists and Indian Oped writers in foreign publications and brief them on talking points. Use the dramatic pictures of funerals and dead bodies which is already being done by foreign media…their reporting can be magnified. The envelope can be pushed to start using demeaning phrases for Modi in intellectual discourse,” the toolkit reads.
“It is important to keep using this term ‘super spreader Kumbh’ to keep reminding the people that it is the Hindu politics of the BJP that is causing so much distress. Avoid getting in the trap of Eid and Kumbh false equivalence narrative that BJP will deploy as a counter. Don’t comment on Eid greetings,” it says.
The Congress workers/sympathisers were specifically asked, “to use social media posts to highlight, by carefully using pictures, that Kumbh is a show of political power in the name of religion while Eid gatherings are happy social gatherings of families and communities.“
Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state, Gujarat was also under the prime target list. Congress workers were explicitly asked to “Build a narrative that Gujarat continues to receive special treatment by him (PM Modi)”
The report further urges volunteers to use phrases like ‘Missing’ Amit Shah, ‘Quarantined’ Jaishankar, ‘Sidelined’ Rajnath Singh, ‘Insensitive’ Nirmala Sitharaman.
“Mobilize creative like-minded people in Bollywood for tweets, memes, comic videos, cartoons, and other viral posts that target Modi,” the report reads.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, while tweeting the alleged toolkit, said: “Disgusting to say the least ..Rahul Gandhi wanting to use this opportunity of Pandemic to destroy the image of PM Modi. Congress workers instructed to call the mutant strain as “Modi strain”. No stone left unturned to scar the name of India with the help of Foreign Journalists!!”
Union Minister V Maraleedharan termed it “disgusting” and said, “This #CongressToolkit clearly shows how @INCIndia instructs its workers to scar India’s efforts to fight the Pandemic. Shame. Disgusting.”
BJP spokesperson Sanju Verma said, “ToolKit by @INCIndia is another embarrassing testimony of how an electorally vanquished Congress, is driven not by Seva bhaav, during #COVID19 pandemic Even now,entire fulcrum of @RahulGandhi &his politics is driven by visceral hatred for @narendramodi govt.#CongressToolkitExposed.”
Tajinder Pal Bagga tweeted saying, “‘Don’t Comment on Eid, Call ‘Super Spreader Kumbh’; Congress’ Toolkit Exposes Party’s Sinister Plot to Fight PM Modi.”
Meanwhile Congress has denied it to be its toolkit. Senior Congress leader Rajeev Gowda has said his party is “filing an FIR for forgery against BJP chief JP Nadda and Sambit Patra.”
The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) also rejected the claims circulated by the BJP.
