Nitesh Rane, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party from Maharashtra, has claimed that Rahul Gandhi’s current Bharat Jodo Yatra is “stage-managed” and that actors are being paid to accompany him. Congress has denied this accusation as “malicious propaganda” intended to undermine the yatra.
The tweet from Mr. Rane, the son of Union minister Narayan Rane, on Monday included the phrase “Ye Pappu kabhi pass nahi hoga!!” along with a screenshot of what seemed to be a phone call.
“As a result, the Rahul Gandhi Yatra is staged. This demonstrates how actors are being hired to accompany him on his stroll. Sab Golmaal hai bhai, sir!” , he tweeted.
Amit Malviya, the in charge of BJP’s national information and technology department, alleged a “paid PR”.
“Other than refurbishing Rahul Gandhi’s credential as a leader, all that his yatra has achieved is enable the rise of a self-serving coterie around him, which is doing more harm by this kind of paid PR. But who are these people willing to associate with Rahul even for some money?” he questioned in a tweet.
Questioning the authenticity of Nitesh Rane’s tweets and claims, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Sachin Sawant on Tuesday alleged the tweet shows BJP’s desperation to discredit the yatra.
“Such bogus WhatsApp images are being shown as proof. No name, no numbers. It is BJP that masters the art of arm-twisting celebrities to portray artificial support for them, not Congress.
“Don’t we remember tweets of celebrities on petrol and diesel rates during UPA government and during farmers’ protests? Everyone knows that it takes courage to stand against autocratic and divisive agenda of BJP. Those who have joined Bharat Jodo Yatra are standing for the cause and for our nation,” he tweeted.
Mr Sawant said the BJP’s attempt to belittle the honesty of artists and malign their characters shows how correct the stand of artists is.
He continued, “Today’s statement from the PM criticising the Bharat Jodo Yatra and such nefarious BJP propaganda only strengthens our resolve and shows that the yatra is headed in the right direction.
