TMC questions neta’s ‘silence’ during political storms, issues guidelines
Times of India | 20 April 2025
Kolkata: Questioning the tendency of its netas to "go silent during storms" and post only "when it's calm", Trinamool on Saturday issued a five-point social media guideline for its members.
The unusual guideline, announced by TMC spokesperson Kumal Ghosh comes days after CM Mamata Banerjee said the party's "IT cell was weak" while speaking on the barrage of fake posts put up by BJP workers and netas following the violence in Murshidabad. In a social media post, Ghosh asked: "Why is it that once someone becomes a neta, they feel it beneath them to argue or advocate for the party on social media?"
Bengal Police has already flagged 1,093 Facebook, Instagram, X and WhatsApp accounts for "misleading and false" posts. Bengal BJP president and junior Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, and Bengal BJP have removed a X post where a collage of photographs was put up. The collage mainly had photos of agitations which took place in other states, but the post claimed them to be from Bengal.
The guideline posted by Ghosh reads: "Don't just post good photos of yourself, respond to the opposition's slander. Address every issue and point. Where there is temporary confusion among people, present the party's line with logic. Don't remain silent on issues. It's odd if you only post good photos but don't engage on difficult topics. Some are absent during storms but active when everything gets calm... everyone notices this."
In the guidelines, Ghosh said: "Three types of promotion are essential: a) The CM's development programmes; b) responding to the opposition's slander, misinformation, conspiracies, and discrimination; c) Providing counter-information, logic, and comparative images against sudden issues and opposition efforts."
He added: "We are where we are because of the party. There can be self-criticism, but there is also progress and course corrections. If I am vocal and bask in the glory when everything is fine, I can't be silent or act as per my conscience when unpleasant issues arise. In controversial matters, it is our duty to intensively campaign. It's unfortunate that some face criticism and still continue to promote the party while others choose their time according to convenience."
Also in an apparent reference to Banerjee's Netaji Indoor meet with SSC-appointed teachers, Ghosh said, "If even 10% of the people, posts, and selfies posted after that meet had been present during the RG Kar incident, slanderers would have been forced to stop much earlier. This trend cannot continue. Interestingly, among those active, there are more workers than netas."