Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule went viral after he called on party workers to invite journalists for a ‘cup of tea’ to influence their work. The instructions were said to have been given during a speech in Ahmednagar, of which audio clips have recently emerged. While opposition leaders were fuming, the BJP leader had issued a statement stressing that he only wanted party workers to treat scribes with respect.
“Small video journalists who manage news portals and stay in your stand space sometimes present a small incident as if an explosion had occurred. Draw up a list of such nuisance journalists, including those from electronic media or print press, and invite them for tea at dhabas so that they don’t write anything against us in the run-up to Maha Vijay 2024. You know what I mean invited them for a cup of tea,” he added.
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The politician then urged party workers to “treat them well and ensure that no negative news comes out.” In case of any shortcomings, he assured, local BJP MP Sujay Vikhe Patil was also there.
“There should be positive news about us. Protect your own stalls first,” he urged.
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Bawankule’s comments have since sparked outrage in the opposition ranks, with many lashing out at the BJP. The politician, meanwhile, emphasized that he only meant that journalists should be treated with respect and that party workers should try to understand their views on the allocated stands.
“Not all journalists are sold out. Do you think journalists accept crumbs? I can understand the restlessness of your leaders, both at the highest and local levels, as they could not suppress the voice of dissent. But you immediately started making offers to journalists? This means that you (BJP) will try to offer some ‘crumbs’ to the voters ahead of the elections too…,” Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar from Maharashtra said.
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“The Congress has given enough importance to journalists, but the BJP has made them look cheap. It is a devaluation of the media fraternity,” Congress president Nana Patole said.
(With input from agencies)
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Updated: Sep 25, 2023 7:59 PM IST