“Today, there is a toolkit going rounds in media by Congress on COVID-19 pandemic. Through this toolkit, the country can see that how Congress is trying to strengthen its political ambitions when the country is in the midst of a health crisis. Congress is trying to defame the government of India, and thousands of people who are doing good work,” Patra said.
He said there is a column in the said toolkit on “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image”, and under that there are instructions to “destroy his image and erode his popularity”.
“At some level Congress is admitting that the PM has managed the crisis well, but the second wave of Covid is an opportunity to tarnish the image of the Prime Minister,” he said.
Patra alleged that the toolkit has instructions to use “international media coverage by foreign correspondent in India that can be tailored to exclusively focus on Modi and his mismanagement”, and “liaison with these foreign journalists and Indian oped writers in foreign publications and brief them on talking points.” He said it also has instructions to “use dramatic pictures of funerals and dead bodies which is already being done by foreign media” and facilitate journalist by “local cadre in various districts to get the images”.
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