KOHIMA, FEBRUARY 19 (MExN): The Kohima Press Club (KPC) has written to the BJP Nagaland condemning the use of “uncouth language and display of total disregard” for journalists by the party’s state media cell convener in the ‘Press 4 BJP Nagaland’ WhatsApp group, a platform that the BJP Nagaland’s media team created to facilitate the party’s dissemination of information.
In a letter to the BJP Nagaland President, Temjen Imna Along, the KPC said that on February 18, when a couple of senior journalists urged the state BJP media team to ensure that whatever goes out to the media is factually correct, irrespective of whosoever in the party issues a press release, the state BJP media cell convener “reacted with unwarranted aggression to the point of even calling them out for a fight.”
According to the KPC, the state BJP media cell convener said: “Know yourself and it (sic) at all, you want to fight, let’s fight it out of here.” It said that the exchange in the group “heated up” after one journalist “lightheartedly asked the media cell convener to stay updated about her party activities so that wrong information is not disseminated to the media.” This was regarding the visit of Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal to the state on February 17 to address election rallies.
The press release forwarded by the state BJP media cell convener mentioned that the Union Minister addressed two election rallies at Mon town and Wozuro in Wokha district whereas, in actuality he could not attend the latter, the KPC said. “Some media houses which used the press release from the state BJP media cell ended up publishing factually inaccurate news,” it informed.
“With the concern that publishing misinformation compromises the credibility of the Fourth Estate, the journalists in question merely suggested that the local media cell crosscheck all statements before releasing communiqués to the press,” the KPC said.
It further stated that the BJP’s state media cell convener “rudely even told the journalists they were welcome to leave the WhatsApp group.” “In the first place, media persons did not ask to be added to the group; we were invited to join. The aggression displayed by your party functionary was shocking and unexpected,” the KPC said. It meanwhile attached screenshots of the conversation along with their letter to the Nagaland BJP President.
The KPC asked the state’s senior BJP leadership to “clarify if journalists should expect such behaviour from the party’s media team henceforth, and also, if the behaviour displayed by the media cell convener of a national political party like the BJP is the new norm.”
NPA takes strong exception
Meanwhile, the Nagaland Press Association (NPA) also took “strong exception to not only providing false information but using abusive words against the media persons on February 18 by the BJP.” A press release from NPA President, H Chishi stated that they “never expect such offensive attitude towards the media from a responsible political party like the BJP.”
“We would like to remind the BJP that NPA will continue to defend the fourth estate and will not allow anyone to demean the sanctity of the fourth estate,” it added.
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