Farmers Movement Archive

BJP may have strong IT cell, but its Punjab unit is facing online heat

JALANDHAR: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may have the strongest social media team, which often has the capacity to influence the narrative. But in Punjab, the party is facing heat on social media due to agri-marketing bills. Even as the party aggressively defends the bills on its official Facebook page of Punjab unit, most comments were against these bills. Earlier, its alliance partner Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) would ‘market’ most of central government decisions, but after SAD also turned against the bills, the challenge has became bigger for the party. Now, taking matter into their own hands, the party is busy defending the bills in Punjabi too. Apart from reiteration of assurances from the Prime Minister and agriculture minister, several posts have been specifically addressed to farmers of Punjab. However, but for a few positive comments, most of the comments on these posts are acerbically against the bills and also against the BJP. While Punjabi netizens have not posted comments below the other posts – especially those pertaining to anniversary of Jan Sangh founder Deen Dayal Upadhayay on Friday — every post pertaining to farmers came under scores of adverse comments, in a few cases even in hundreds. “Farm bills will bring same benefit to farmers, which Jio brought for BSNL,” commented Sukhvir Singh on BJP Punjab page in one such post. “Come to the farmers’ protest to explain them,” posted one Kulwinder Singh. Netizen Gursewak Singh posted “many benefits of demonetisation were enumerated. Were there any?”. Quite a few netizens asked tongue-in-cheek how can the BJP convince others if they cannot not convince their partner SAD. The flood of anti-bills messages seem to be not only from people with farming background or from rural areas. Many urbanites seem to have taken digs at the Union government and have expressed solidarity with farmers. BOX Attempts to give communal turn Even as Punjab Police top brass claim to have been maintaining close watch on social media, there were attempts on social media to give the protests a communal turn — hate messages against protesting farmers have also been posted apart from spreading fake news. On Friday, a group named “Justice for Punjabi Hindus” apart from using abusive language for the protestors also posted a fake news that “Panthic Jatts” threw stones at a convoy of army vehicles after blocking them on national highway and some army men were even injured. The group had also posted messages chiding Hindus who have joined the farmers’ protests.

The Times of India

2020-09-27

Chandigarh