In a recent development, an audio clip featuring Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule has surfaced. In the clip, Bawankule purportedly advises party workers to take journalists to roadside eateries, known as dhabas, and treat them well to avert negative publicity in the lead-up to the elections.
This has sparked allegations of the BJP attempting to exert influence over the media, raising questions about the ethics of political interaction with journalists.
In response, Congress ally NCP's Lok Sabha MP, Supriya Sule, accused the BJP of stifling dissent in what is hailed as "the mother of democracy." She criticized the BJP for seeking to muzzle the media and emphasized the vital role of newspapers in a democracy as a form of opposition.
Sule stated, "It is a serious matter and condemnable action. It is the BJP's policy to not let journalists function smoothly," adding, "BJP should admit it does not accept democracy."
What did Chandrashekhar Bawankule say?
In the audio, Bawankule can be heard saying that small-time video journalists running news portals and residing in your booth areas sometimes present a minor incident as if some blast has taken place. Prepare a list of such nuisance-creating journalists, including those from the electronic media or print, and invite them for a cup of tea to dhabas so that they would not write anything against us ahead of Maha Vijay 2024. You know what I mean by inviting them for a cup of tea, he added.
If there are some shortcomings Sujay Vikhe Patil, local BJP MP, is there, he added. Take them to dhabas. Treat them well and ensure no negative news comes out against us. There should be positive news about us. Protect your own booths first, Bawankule said.
Facing swift backlash from the opposition, Bawankule offered a clarification, asserting that his intent was merely to emphasize treating journalists with respect and understanding their opinions about the allocated booths. He defended his statement, stating that he did not intend to influence or manipulate the media.