Sending the message quietly but firmly

On Thursday, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were keen to know the reaction of journalists to India's surgical strikes on Pakistani terror launch pads. The BJP leadership particularly sought feedback from Hindi news channels to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech at a rally in Kozhikode. After the speech, party leaders conveyed to the PM's advisors that several journalists, who have been covering the BJP for years, thought he had failed to walk the talk. However, the mood was of joyous approval after Thursday's surgical strikes. But leaders turned down requests by the party cadre as well as journalists to distribute sweets or burst firecrackers. There were strict instructions not to indulge in any visible chest-thumping. The party believes it has managed to come out of a difficult situation and doesn't want to unduly encourage nationalistic fervour.