The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the Congress of paying social media influencers ₹ 25,000 to attend Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Gunj’ programme in Pune which is scheduled on August 22.
The BJP shared a video on Friday claiming it shows a phone conversation between a social media influencer with a worker of the Congress party who asks her to attend the event and highlight it on her social media handle. Some of the dorectives include prohibition on displaying of provocative images, banners, or portraits. The police noted that the event’s organisers will bear complete legal responsibility if any untoward incident triggers a law and order disruption. Proceedings must comply with Supreme Court noise level restrictions and avoid causing disruptions to residents, senior citizens, nearby schools, hospitals, or the Pune Railway Station.
The person on the other side of the phone can be heard telling the social media influencer, whose identity is not known, that she will be paid ₹ 25,000 which will also cover her travel expenses, to attend the event in Pune. The upcoming event, specifically focused on providing a platform for young women, is expected to draw a crowd of 8,000 to 10,000 attendees between 4:30 pm and 9:30 pm, news agency ANI reported.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s nationwide student outreach initiative “Chhatron Ki Gunj” is scheduled for August 22 at the SSPMS College Ground in Pune. “Objectionable images, portraits, or banners must not be displayed during the program; additionally, if any untoward incident takes place leading to a law and order issue, the entire responsibility will lie on the organisers,” the police directive stated.
“Look at this video. Rahul Gandhi’s leadership is so weak that even event attendance needs to be paid for. Influencers are being offered ₹ 25,000 just to attend his Pune event.
Though the caller, who identifies himself as ‘Shantanu’, does not explicitly mention Rahul Gandhi, ‘Chhatron Ki Gunj’ programme or any other identifier of the event, he can be heard telling the social media influencer that the event will take place on “22nd” and that she can upload the content related to it later that day or the next day. Yet, he questions EVMs whenever he loses,” it said.
