After Supriya Shrinate entered the Congress, it didn’t take long for the top leadership to make her the party’s social media head. Articulate, well-versed in Hindi and English, and experience in media were the right credentials.
But today the same social media has come to bite her. A post from her verified Instagram account had a picture of actress Kangana Ranaut and another of a mandi or a marketplace. The Bharatiya Janata Party has just announced Kangana as its Lok Sabha election candidate from Himachal Pradesh’s mandi seat.
The suggestion was derogatory and it soon became viral. Interestingly, the post, which was later deleted, was spread widely by many social media accounts linked to the Congress.
Supriya Shrinate issued a statement saying access to her account was misused purportedly by someone on her team. Many in the Congress like Pawan Khera and Srinivas BV came out in her support.
But others in the party are not convinced. They are worried about the political fallout. Will the Prime Minister speak up, make this an election issue, and accuse the Congress and INDIA front of being anti-women? Just recently, Rahul Gandhi’s “Shakti” remarks stirred up a controversy and the PM had used it to attack the Congress.
First the facts. News 18 has learnt that there are at least six people who have access to Supriya’s account. It’s normal practice which is followed by many other parties too. But each post is vetted at three levels. The final responsibility lies with those at the helm, and in this case, it’s Supriya. So the buck stops with her.
But will any action follow? So far everyone is mum. However, sources confirm that the person who put out the post has been served a notice and laid off. But the BJP is in no mood to let this issue die down.
The Congress has worked on controlling the damage. Party social media handles have pushed an earlier interview of Kangana where she made a derogatory comment about Urmila Matondkar. But the question is, does one wrong justify another? Also with Lok Sabha polls around the corner, can this goof-up be ignored?
The BJP has unleashed all its top women leaders, from Smriti Trani to Khushbu Sundar, to attack the post. Kangana Ranaut herself has issued a statement.
There is no denying that under Supriya Shrinate the Congress social media wing has become aggressive and often gives the BJP a run for its money. Supriya herself is very combative on television debates and this is one reason why she has earned the confidence of the Gandhis, especially Priyanka.
However, can the Congress afford to ignore this issue, given the fierce fight for women’s votes to win the Lok Sabha battle?
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