Photo of villagers listening to Amit Shah's rally on LED screen unleashes Twitter storm
Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, June 11
A photo of villagers in West Bengal, who gathered to watch Home Minister Amit Shah’s virtual rally on a TV appended to metal poles surrounded by bamboo shrubs, has caused a storm on social media.
At least 15,000 big LED screens and more than 70,000 smart TVs were installed across West Bengal by the BJP for connecting with party workers down to the booth level for the virtual rally. The state has an estimated 78,000 polling booths, according to PTI. The digital rally was held shortly after Cyclone Amphan had torn into West Bengal, killing 72 people and “completely devastating” two districts in the state.
On Twitter, the Congress and the AAP criticised the BJP for holding the rally amid the coronavirus pandemic and when “it did not have enough money to send migrants home.”
BJP National General Secretary (Org), B L Santhosh, however, tweeted: “People in remote villages of West Bengal listening to @AmitShah during #BJPJanSamvad . This is the reach @BJP4Bengal has achieved thru’ relentless pursuit for last 5 years.People want better days.”
Here is what BJP leaders said about the viral image:
This is a defining image from Home Minister Amit Shah’s virtual rally in Bengal yesterday. People with modest means in interiors of Bengal watched him live! Just to give a sense of the reach, the live feed on @BJP4Bengal’s Facebook page alone has been shared approx 32,000 times! pic.twitter.com/u4vwDOtfPs
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 10, 2020
People in remote villages of West Bengal listening to @AmitShah during #BJPJanSamvad . This is the reach @BJP4Bengal has achieved thru’ relentless pursuit for last 5 years . People want better days . pic.twitter.com/hBpzysKDNU
— B L Santhosh (@blsanthosh) June 10, 2020
The enthusiasm and love showered upon the @BJP4India in the virtual rally for Bengal is unparalleled.
This picture is an example of how people love BJP in even farthest corner of Bengal.
Surely, West Bengal will see a definite change next year.. pic.twitter.com/UF6Y29LDW2
— Y. Satya Kumar (@satyakumar_y) June 10, 2020
A Congress leader asked why the BJP could spend on LED screens and not migrant welfare:
बिहार चुनाव में गाँव के जंगल में 20 हज़ार की एलईडी लगवा सकते है लेकिन ग़रीब, मजदूरों के खाते में 7500 रुपये नही डाल सकते, उन्हें उनके गृहजनपद बस-ट्रेन से भिजवा नही सकते। ऐसी नीच राजनीति जनता सब याद रखेगी। @INCUttarPradesh @priyankagandhi pic.twitter.com/nspiN4T5dw— राकेश सचान #StayHomeSaveLives (@Rakesh_Sachan_) June 10, 2020
भाषण ही है मेरा शासन
— Ankita Shah (@Ankita_Shah8) June 10, 2020
For West Bengal election campaign,Bjp can spend 25000 rupees for one LED’s in the village bushes but can’t put 7500 rupees in the account of poor, migrant workers even they can’t be sent their homes by train or any other transport.The public will remember such lowly politics. pic.twitter.com/xrPlFEEWTs
— Sahadat Hossain (@usersahadattiya) June 10, 2020
