BJP's Delayed Action Against Aggressive Spokespersons

The BJP’s delayed action against aggressive spokespersons may have doused international ire to an extent, but it has not gone down well with a section of the party cadre

- Pratul Sharma

THE BJP’S 2018 training manual on media had guidelines for its leaders and spokespersons on how to navigate traditional news media and emerging social media. It talked about the need to focus on winning the perception war and setting the agenda. “We should as far as possible not be seen as reacting to issues. Rather build our brand in such a way as to make others change or imitate us so that the BJP brand dominates the discourse,” said the manual.

In a section on handling television debates, it warned about facing a tough opposition. “Answer critical questions honestly without losing your composure. If you acknowledge that your opponent has a point, you will often win the confidence of the audience.” However, on May 26, during a polarising debate on the Gyanvapi mosque issue, BJP’s Nupur Sharma went against the official playbook, as she lost her composure. The firebrand national spokesperson’s statement was perceived as offensive and derogatory to Prophet Mohammed.

A day later, Sharma’s comments started going viral on social media. At first, party leaders tried to down-play her comments and maintained that she had only exercised her freedom of expression. As she faced threats, BJP activists came out on social media in support. On June 1, Delhi BJP media cell in-charge Naveen Jindal posted a particularly offensive tweet against the Prophet. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ramnath Kovind were in Kanpur on June 3, protests and violence broke out after Friday prayers. Soon, protests were reported from other cities, and reactions started flowing from Islamic countries.