The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently accused the Congress party of having an alleged "toolkit" for creating a negative image of India and its Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Congress party in response has filed a police complaint against BJP leaders for forgery, spreading misinformation and defamation.
Here is a look at the details of the controversy.
All About the 'Toolkit'
According to the BJP, the alleged toolkit, a document, has been made by Congress research cell leader Rajeev Gowda and his team. A page of the supposed toolkit was shared by the BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on Twitter. The page showed instructions for Congress workers on how to gather more support for their social work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patra tweeted, "Friends look at the #CongressToolKit in extending help to the needy during the Pandemic! More of a PR exercise with the help of ‘Friendly Journalists’ & ‘Influencers’ than a soulful endeavour. Read for yourselves the agenda of the Congress: #CongressToolKitExposed."
Friends look at the #CongressToolKit in extending help to the needy during the Pandemic!More of a PR exercise with the help of “Friendly Journalists” & “Influencers” than a soulful endeavour.Read for yourselves the agenda of the Congress:#CongressToolKitExposed pic.twitter.com/3b7c2GN0re
— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) May 18, 2021
According to other screenshots being circulated by BJP members, the document has other instructions calling the B.1.617 strain as the Indian or Modi strain, calling the Central Vista Project as Modi’s personal house and asking questions about PM CARES Fund.
The Congress Response
Congress responded to BJP by accusing them of spreading misinformation by way of a "fake toolkit." Rajeev Gowda responded that Patra was showing the metadata/author information of a real research note on the Central Vista project and using it to propagate a fake toolkit.
Gowda had tweeted, "Let’s be clear we made a research note on Central Vista for the party. It’s genuine & fact-based. I tweeted yesterday that ‘COVID19 toolkit’ is FORGED & is a MADE in BJP product. Patra is showing metadata/author of a real document & attributing it to a FAKE."
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Let’s be clear We made a research note on Central Vista for the party It’s genuine & fact-based. I tweeted yesterday that “COVID19 toolkit" is FORGED & is a MADE in BJP product. Patra is showing metadata/author of a real document & attributing it to a FAKEhttps://t.co/qHc52C8DWw
— Rajeev Gowda (@rajeevgowda) May 19, 2021
The Congress party also wrote to Delhi Police Commissioner for filing FIRs against BJP president J.P. Nadda, Union minister Smriti Irani, party spokesperson Sambit Patra, and party leader B.L. Santhosh and for circulating the alleged "forged and fabricated documents with the intent to create communal disharmony and civil unrest" and to "divert attention from Modi government's failure in providing necessary aid to people amidst the current pandemic."
The Congress party announced in a tweet, "AICC Research Dept Chairman Shri@rajeevgowda & INC SM Chairman Shri @rohanrgupta have filed an FIR against BJP President Shri @JPNadda, BJP National Spokesperson Shri @sambitswaraj & others for forgery & fabricated content. #BJPLiesIndiaCries."
AICC Research Dept Chairman Shri @rajeevgowda & INC SM Chairman Shri @rohanrgupta have filed an FIR against BJP President Shri @JPNadda, BJP National Spokesperson Shri @sambitswaraj & others for forgery & fabricated content. #BJPLiesIndiaCries pic.twitter.com/fXmSmQm3ld
— Congress (@INCIndia) May 18, 2021
While the political drama played out, India recorded 4,529 deaths due to COVID-19 on May 18, the highest single-day death toll so far.
(Edited by : Shoma)
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