Ranchi: The state BJP has said the Congress's "meme stunt" against chief minister Raghubar Das was a desperate attempt by the party to stay relevant, describing it as dirty, immature and a cheap gimmick, but Congress sources have indicated that more videos could follow.
Reacting to The Telegraph report, "Congress unleashes CM meme fest" published on Thursday, state unit spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said the BJP did not need to resort to making similar videos to counter the Congress which stood exposed.
"The Congress is already exposed in the public's eye. We don't need videos to expose them. Their deeds in the last 70 years speak more than anything else," he remarked.
Shahdeo said Jharkhand Congress chief Ajoy Kumar was a "joke" in the political map of Jharkhand.
"He is a man who prides himself on being an encounter specialist who threatens his own party leaders. He is not even worthy of a reaction from us. He should understand that he is not in police anymore but amongst the poor of Jharkhand. He should behave in mature way," Shahdeo said.
Asked if his party would file a case against the Congress, the BJP spokesperson came up with a stock reply. "The law will take its course. Healthy joking is OK but the kind of cheap gimmicks his party (Congress) indulges in is not," he reacted, adding that chief minister Raghubar Das was committed to the development of Jharhand and would not tolerate anyone who tried to "derail the development juggernaut".
But the chief minister's office refused to comment on Sarabpreet Singh's arrest by cyber police. "I don't think the chief minister would like to comment as police acted on a case that came to them based on their jurisprudence. On, Congress videos, it's a political thing and it's better to talk to the party (BJP). CMO has nothing to do with this," an government officer told this correspondent.
On Wednesday, the state Congress announced it would launch a series of meme posts featuring the chief minister's videos with brand taglines in the wake of Sarabpreet's arrest by cyber police for creating and uploading a similar video.
The Congress went on to upload two memes on its official twitter handle with a # hum bolega toh bologe ki bolta hai, a popular yesteryear Bollywood ditty. The party's twitter handle also tagged @raghubardas (the chief minister's twitter handle) to ask CM ko gussa kyun aata hai (Why does the CM gets angry).
Jharkhand Congress (@INCJharkhand) had not posted any more videos till the time of filing this report on Thursday, but sources in Ranchi claimed "work is under progress", indicating that more memes could be uploaded.
"The meme dare serves two purposes. First, we can take on the party (BJP) politically, which is self-obsessed with self-promotion both online and offline, and secondly, condemn curbs on freedom of expressions," remarked a senior Congress leader in Ranchi while campaigning for party for the civic polls.
