RSS leader Ratan Sharda. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Ratan Sharda, an author and leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, came down heavily on Amit Malviya, the head of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT cell, on July 24, for trolling social media users who criticised the Union Budget.
Terming it a “serious problem”, Mr. Sharda, who is also a columnist in the RSS’ English mouthpiece Organiser, said that the IT cell should instead focus on simplifying the government’s schemes for citizens who can benefit.
In a post on X, Mr. Malviya had called out those complaining about the Union government’s decision to eliminate indexation in property sales. “Everyone is an indexation specialist tonight,” Mr. Malviya wrote in a post which he deleted after Mr. Sharda and a number of other BJP sympathisers countered him.
‘Better communication needed’
“This attitude of BJP IT Cell is a serious problem. Instead of coming up with simplified communication about good points of #Budget2024, he ends up trolling citizens. Answer their fear, don’t insult them dear Amit Malviya,” Mr. Sharda wrote.
After Mr. Malviya deleted his post, Mr. Sharda commented again, saying, “It seems Amit Malviya has deleted the tweet. Let better senses prevail.”
Mr. Sharda, a life-long member of the Sangh, has written several books on the RSS. In a piece in the Organiser written after the recent Lok Sabha election, he openly called out the BJP’s “arrogance” and “ego” as the prime reasons for its losses in several seats. In another piece, he expressed displeasure at the BJP’s decision to accept the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The RSS, however, maintained that Mr. Sharda’s articles expressed his personal opinion and did not reflect the views of the Sangh or its affiliated organisations.
