Rattled By Faux Pas Of MP Top Brass, BJP Leadership Plans Training Workshop For Leaders

News18

a day ago

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The workshop from May 14-16 will teach the dos and don'ts of social media interaction and coach the leadership on 'understanding their limits' when speaking to the media
The top brass of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on the back foot over a series of controversial statements by senior party leaders from Madhya Pradesh, has decided to hold a three-day workshop to teach how to conduct oneself in public life.
The seriousness of the event can be gauged from the fact that Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda are expected to attend the workshop and impart crucial tips to Madhya Pradesh's BJP leadership.
The workshop will be held from May 14-16. Though no official announcement has not been made yet, News18 has learnt that Shah is likely to kick-start the workshop to set the tone. BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde is likely to be present on May 15 to 'teach" the dos and don'ts of social media interaction and cite best practices. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's social media practices to stay away from controversies while engaging on social media are likely to be cited during the workshop.
On the closing day, Nadda is likely to be present along with general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh. Sources say Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and BJP state president BD Sharma will also address sessions that are customised to help the state leadership 'understand their limits" when speaking to the media. The three-day workshop is being organised in Panchmarhi—more than 200 kilometres away from Bhopal.
Not only the chief minister and his entire cabinet, but all BJP MLAs, state BJP officials and even state spokespersons have been asked to be mandatorily present for the workshop on all three days.
While the BJP as a party keeps organising workshops for its leadership to upskill them, the Madhya Pradesh event is different as it comes in the backdrop of back-to-back controversial statements from the senior BJP leadership in the state.
Madhya Pradesh's minister for tribal affairs Kunwar Vijay Shah recently sparked outrage with his remarks about Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who briefed the media on Operation Sindoor, saying 'we sent their own sisters to beat them up". This prompted the Madhya Pradesh High Court to order an FIR against Vijay Shah, while the Supreme Court criticised his comments and rejected his apology while ordering a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the issue.
Within days of that row, MP's deputy chief minister Jagdish Devda claimed during a speech in Jabalpur that the Indian Army 'bows at the feet of PM Narendra Modi" in connection with Operation Sindoor. Congress leader Priyanka Vadra quickly lapped up the opportunity to call it 'constant insult of our Army".
In June this year, minister of parliamentary affairs Kailash Vijayavargiya commented during a programme in Indore that he disapproved of women wearing 'skimpy clothes" and refused to take selfies with them, emphasising traditional views on women's attire in India. The remarks drew sharp criticism from the Madhya Pradesh Congress, bringing embarrassment to the BJP.
Sources in the BJP suggest the top leadership considered the recent spate of faux pas unacceptable, given that they came from very senior politicians. By sending its top leadership for the workshop, a message is given to the Madhya Pradesh BJP that, in future, such embarrassing statements may not go without consequences.
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