News Analysis India

Tag: BJP IT cell

  • Social media teams of all central ministers to be trained in enhancing government outreach

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The BJP-led central government, facing tough challenges from the opposition on various fronts, has decided to further enhance the impact and outreach of all ministries in the masses through wider usage of digital platforms across various social media.According to a letter issued to all ministers, as part of ‘Azadi Ka Digital Mahotsava’, at least two personal staffs of all ministers, who used to handle the digital platforms of social media on behalf of the concerned ministers or their ministries, would be trained on the wider applications of various digital platforms of social media at a workshop, scheduled to be organised on December 4 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).“Today, digital communication is one of the major sources of information dissemination of government. It is requested that two members from the minister’s personal staff and social media teams may be nominated to attend the workshops on December 4 on improving the impact and outreach of governmentcommunication”, stated the official communication issued to the ministers.

    The decision to equip the staff and social media teams of the ministers with the latest developments in the fields of social media-driven communication has come at a time when the parties in opposition are putting challenges and questioning the government’s claims on achievements and policies through digitalplatforms of social media, including Twitter, Facebook and Youtube and others on a war-footing level ahead of the next 2024 LS elections.

    The trained staff or members of ministers’ social media teams will also be trained on various modalities for effective outreach in the masses through almost all digital platforms of social media.

    As per the letter, written by MyGov CEO Abhishek Singh, IAS, to all ministers’ offices, the presence of social media teams of the ministers at the workshop will go a long way in promoting the civic engagement of the government.

    The important dignitaries and industry partners of government will also give a keynote address on the wider usage of social media at the workshop after conducting interactive sessions and panel discussions.

    As a conservative estimate, more than 150 staff and members of ministers’ social media teams will be trained further on enhancing government outreaches to the masses.  At present, there are 78 ministers in the Narendra Modi-led NDA government including the Prime minister.

    A larger chunk of the Indian population spends more than 3 hours daily on social media with a rise of internet users to 624 million. “ So keeping the emerging larger population connected with the social media as an important mode of information dissemination in today’s rapid digital advancements, the government would like to enhance its outreach and influence sharing achievements and policies with the people”, said a staff of a minister, preferring anonymity.

  • Congress ground work to take on BJP virtually

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Citizen reporter, fake news alert desk, state-wise dedicated control room and amplifying local issues nationally — the Congress social media department is gearing up ahead of assembly elections next year to take on the BJP virtually in the war of perception building.

    It is looking to rope in common people to narrate the hardships they have faced due to the policies of central and respective state governments. “We launched a Covid Nyay Yatra in Gujarat where we shot 400 videos of family members of people who died due to Covid-19.

    The state government has been hiding the exact number of people who died during the pandemic. This is an initiative to give voice to family members who lost their loved ones. These videos are amplified to present the real picture,” said Congress social media incharge Rohan Gupta.    

    Following discussion with state units, the party plans to train a dedicated team of volunteers who will hit the ground to connect with people and bring in their stories through videos. “The need was felt as the issues concerning people are not properly raised in the media. We thought to directly involve those affected as ‘Janta Ka Reporter’. We are looking to pick specific issues and amplify it based on facts and figures,” he added.

    Plans are also afoot to set up a national fake news alert desk that will do fact-checking and amplify it with data and facts.  For the polls, dedicated control rooms have been set up  and workers are being mapped booth wise and connected through social media platforms  for circulation of issues and collecting feedbacks.

  • Celeb tweets probe: Uddhav government says 12 names have come to fore

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: A dozen names have come to the fore during a probe into the alleged role of the BJP IT cell in tweets posted by Indian celebrities in response to comments by some global figures on the farmer protest, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said in the Assembly on Tuesday.

    Deshmukh maintained the probe was not directed at the tweets by Indian celebrities as he engaged in a war of words with Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP on the issue in the Assembly.

    Fadnavis suggested the Shiv Sena-led MVA government was trying to probe icons like Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar over their pro-India tweets issued after some foreign figures posted on-line comments supporting the ongoing protest outside Delhi against the Centre’s new farm laws.

    Deshmukh promptly refuted the charge, saying the state government had ordered a probe into tweets by the BJP’s IT cell and not by cricketer Tendulkar and legendary singer Mangeshkar.

    “I did not make any statement about (probing) honourable Tendulkar or Mangeshkar. I did not speak about probing Tendulkar or Mangeshkar. I had talked about probing the IT cell of a political party, which I am not naming.”

    “It was probed. Names of 12 persons have come to the fore in this connection and further action is being taken against them,” said Deshmukh.

    The NCP minister later said in the House that the IT cell concerned is of the BJP.

    On February 8, Deshmukh said the state intelligence department will conduct a probe into allegations that some celebrities were pressurised into issuing tweets in connection with the ongoing farmers’ protest.

    Deshmukh had made the remarks on an online platform after Congress, a ruling coalition partner in Maharashtra, sought an investigation into the BJP’s alleged connection with the tweets of some celebrities and whether the saffron party “arm-twisted” them.

    A number of prominent personalities, including Tendulkar and Mangeshkar, had rallied around the central government on social media using hashtags #IndiaTogether and #IndiaAgainstPropaganda.

    This came after tweets by American pop star Rihanna and teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg backing farmers who are protesting against the three agri-marketing laws enacted by the Centre in September last year.

    Fadnavis said in the Assembly on Tuesday that Tendulkar and Mangeshkar had tweeted that “India is against propaganda” and “India stands united”.

    “Is it wrong to say in this country that ‘India stands united’? Someone gets up, complains to the home minister,” the former chief minister said and asked Deshmukh to think well before entertaining such complaints.

    Countering Deshmukh, Fadnavis said he will feel proud if he asks anyone to tweet for the country.

    “Let’s assume for a minute that I asked them to do so (issue tweets). What offence did I commit? What offence have I committed if I asked celebrities to side with the country if there is propaganda going on against it?” the senior BJP legislator sought to know.