Be more aggressive, but be decent: BJP to its media cell

Leaders be cautious while hitting at the Congress as words once spoken cannot be taken back: Sushma Swaraj

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) brass on Saturday asked the party’s spokespersons and media cell officers from the states to be more aggressive in taking on Congress, but maintain decency while countering the opposition through television debates and press interactions.     

At a closed-door media workshop for spokespersons, panelists and media cells at the Centre and in states, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley dwelt on the "do's and don'ts" while handling the media and attacking political opponents.

Swaraj, who inaugurated the workshop, said leaders be cautious while hitting at the Congress as "words once spoken cannot be taken back", party sources said.

She stressed the need for the spokespersons and panelists to speak in one voice and maintain decorum while rubbishing arguments of adversaries.     

Swaraj said the Congress should be targeted on issues like corruption, economy and malgovernance.     

In his address, Jaitley expressed dissatisfaction at the manner in which the spokespersons had tackled the Congress charges against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi after his Independence Day speech.     

Jaitley said Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had used derogatory words against Modi which should have been countered strongly but decently.     The BJP has also demanded Azad take back his words immediately and tender an apology for his remarks.

Jaitley said there was a need to take on the Congress more aggressively. Sources said he asked the spokespersons to be better prepared to sound more convincing.

He underlined the need for setting the agenda in the media and public debates and not follow the one set by the Congress, and rued the party was not doing this.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines, spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said, "Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley spoke in their speeches at the workshop on how spokespersons should put across their views vociferously but with decorum. We should not lose decency."

The Member of Parliament said Congress had made a habit of using vituperative language on the social media against the opposition, and there was a need to deal with it.

"The two senior leaders said Congress is lowering the standard of the debate. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has used derogatory language against Modi.

"Ghulam Nabi Azad not just insulted Modi by calling him Gangu Teli but also insulted the community to which he belongs. This is unfortunate," Hussain said.     

BJP also demanded that Azad take back his words immediately and also tender an apology for insulting all backward castes and especially the members of this particular community.

"BJP wants to tell Congress President Sonia Gandhi to restrain her ministers and spokespersons. We will answer back to Congress but not in such indecent language," Hussain said.     

The party is likely to take up this issue on different fora to attack the Congress.     Jaitley also spoke on the state of the economy, and the party may hold a separate workshop on it in the near future.      

"The Prime Minister has the image of an economist and not that of a mass leader who helped in winning elections. But this image has been dented after his speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort that the situation will not worsen to the extent of the one that prevailed in 1991. But the economic situation today is worse," Hussain said.