Viksit Bharat Sampark’s WhatsApp messages and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s letter asking for feedback and suggestions from the public have caused controversy.
The AAP leadership in Patiala has raised objections to the message, labeling it as an indirect attempt to sway voters and misusing public data to conduct an opinion poll.
The district president (urban) of the AAP, Tejinder Mehta, has denounced the message as political propaganda aimed at influencing voters. He expressed concerns that by gathering feedback, the Central Government could potentially exploit public data to gauge public sentiment and party’s prospects in specific constituencies for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Furthermore, Mehta criticized the message for referencing the Government of India instead of being spread through the official BJP channel, deeming it a breach of the code of conduct.
He added that they had made the party high command aware of the BJP’s use of WhatsApp for political propaganda.
The WhatsApp message sent to several Indian WhatsApp users by Viksit Bharat Sampark sought feedback and suggestions from residents regarding government schemes and policies.
The pdf file attached with the message is a letter from Prime Minister mentioning government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, Matru Vandana Yojana, etc, and seeking suggestions from the people over government initiatives and schemes.
‘How BJP Got Our Numbers’: UAE, Pakistan Nationals On PM Modi’s ‘Surprise’ WhatsApp Message.
In the letter, which was issued on the day of the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls date, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought ideas, suggestions and support in fulfilling the resolve to build a prosperous India. While some foreign nations were taken aback, others wondered about their involvement.
A WhatsApp message from ‘Viksit Bharat Sampark’ has surprised Indian expatriates in the UAE, as well as individuals from various nationalities, including Emiratis, British, and Pakistani. The WhatsApp message, seeking feedback and suggestions from the public on the Indian government’s schemes and initiatives, which has a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi attached to it, originated from an Indian number.
The letter mentions government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, Matru Vandana Yojana, etc., and solicits suggestions from citizens regarding government initiatives and schemes. In the letter, the PM said, ‘I need and indeed, look forward to your ideas, suggestions, and support as we work to fulfil the resolve of building a Viksit Bharat.’
In the letter, which was issued on the day of the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls date, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought ideas, suggestions and support in fulfilling the resolve to build a prosperous India. While some foreign nations were taken aback, others wondered about their involvement.
‘Very Strange’: Foreign Nationals Receive PM Modi’s Message
Expressing bewilderment regarding the message’s intent, a Dubai-based Pakistani journalist Asma Zain said, as reported by Khaleej Times, ‘I received the message at midnight.’ It left me wondering: what kind of suggestions could Mr. Modi possibly need from me? And more importantly, should I even be providing them?”
Meanwhile, another Pakistani Fahad Siddiqui, after receiving the message on his longstanding Etisalat number, said, “It’s all very strange.”
Meanwhile, a British resident of Dubai expressed curiosity, saying, ‘I am curious about how they got our numbers.’
Opposition Slams BJP-led Central Government Over This WhatsApp Message
Meanwhile, opposition parties criticize the BJP’s outreach efforts. The Congress unit in Kerala has called for the message to be part of a campaign for the upcoming general elections and accused the government of misusing public data.
“Modi is not just spamming Indians, but spamming rest of the world too. People from different nationalities including Pakistanis are receiving his propaganda messages,” wrote Congress on X, tagging Meta.
The message talks about taking feedback from citizens, but the attached PDF is nothing but political propaganda. In the guise of feedback, the letter is nothing but claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making about his Govt as part of his campaign for the upcoming General Elections, misusing govt database,” wrote Congress in Kerala.
Kerala Congress also shared a screenshot of WhatsApp policy on government and political use of its business platform, highlighting that the company prohibits the use of messaging app by political parties, politicians, political candidates and political campaigns.
WhatsApp’s stated policy prohibits the use of WhatsApp for political campaigns. If that’s the policy, how do you allow a political leader to spread propaganda on your platform? Or do you have a separate policy for BJP,” wrote Congress Kerala.
Trinamool Congress leader and disqualified Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra also hit out at the BJP-led government for plugging PM Modi’s letter at the expense of taxpayers after the model code of conduct came into force following the announcement of election schedule on Saturday.
“MCC came into effect today at 1500 hrs after EC announcement. Just received shameless campaign message from “Viksit Bharat” at taxpayer expense plugging PM letter at 20:17 hrs,” Moitra said. “Please send from BJP party account.”
