Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 1
Changing times require a changing approach, it is said. No wonder RSS ‘sarsanghchalak’ Mohan Bhagwat, who once opined social media could make people “egoist” and “self-centered”, has made a debut on popular micro-blogging site Twitter with a verified account @DrMohanBhagwat.
In fact, seven top leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, the ideological fountainhead of the ruling BJP, including ‘sarkaryawah’ Suresh ‘Bhayyaji’ Joshi, have gone online, though none of them have tweeted anything yet. But the number of Bhagwat’s followers is increasing by the hour. While he has selected @DrMohanBhagwat as his handle, other RSS leaders to get personal verified accounts include Arun Kumar, Krishna Gopal, Suresh Soni, V Bhagaiah and Anirudh Deshpande.
As an organisation, the RSS joined Twitter in June 2011 and has 1.3 million followers. Its political arm—the BJP—and all its leaders, including PM Narendra Modi and chief Amit Shah, are more than active on social media, the use of which they have perfected to further the party’s political ideologies and thoughts.
Many see the joining of social media by “conservative” sangh leaders as part of modernisation of the right-wing organisation to attract youth, the first indication of which was seen in the decision to change decades-old ‘khaki’ shorts. Twitter is a key tool of private and public discourse and with the foundation day close by on September 27, perhaps the leaders thought it to be a good opportunity for another subtle makeover.
Another reason is to check fake accounts, say functionaries, which are being run in name of Bhagwat, Joshi and others to spread fake news.
“Social media means me, my and mine,” Bhagwat was quoted as saying in an interaction with ‘Organiser’ and ‘Panchjanya’, RSS-affiliated publications.
‘Sarsanghchalak’ has Change of heart
Social media means me, my and mine and that I have to express my opinion on each and every issue… Facebook by name itself represents your face as an individual and, therefore, tends to make you more self-centric. —Mohan Bhagwat, in earlier interview
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3070Xu2
via Today’s News Headlines
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