On 10th June, a message on WhatsApp and social media started to circulate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been added to Bharatiya Janata Party’s “Margdarshak Mandal”. The assertion has been made that he was added to the “Mandal” alongside veteran BJP leaders like LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi as “punishment” for unfavourable results in Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
The WhatsApp message had a screenshot of the BJP’s website’s “Margdarshak Mandal” page alongside text that read, “Was the 2024 election result against Modi? It looks like even BJPee people are sick of Modi. They put him in Margdarshak Mandal on the BJPee website. People are sick of him. they have the numbers, but not the mandate.”
When we checked social media, there were similar posts made on X. On 6th June, a Congress spokesperson mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a social media post and wrote, “Who is spreading this rumour that Modi Ji is joining “Margdarshak Mandal”.
X user Gurudath Shetty Karkala wrote, “Wow!! this is big. BJP’s official website has put Modi on the list of Margdarshak Mandal.”
X user Sanatan Dharma questioned why PM Modi and Rajnath Singh’s names were added to Margdarshak Mandal.
Another user Dhairya Maheshwari wrote, “For some reason, PM Modi’s and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s names have come up on the website of the BJP ‘Margdarshak Mandal’ besides the names of party veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.”
Reality: Both PM Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have been a part of Margdarshak Mandal since 2014
When OpIndia checked the page of BJP’s Margdarshak Mandal, PM Modi and Rajnath Singh are indeed in the list alongside LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. However, there is a catch. Both Prime Minister and Defence Minister are not new members of Margdarshak Mandal. They have been part of the committee since 2014.
We found a press release from 2014 that mentioned that five leaders were added to Margdarshak Mandal which were former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, PM Narendra Modi, Lalkrishna Advani, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and Rajnath Singh.
Furthermore, we also found archives of the page from 2022 and 2023 where both PM Modi and Rajnath Singh were part of Margdarshak Mandal.
The war of narrative
As the dust settles on Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the Indian political landscape has geared up for a fierce battle of narratives. The opposition parties have nothing better to do after getting defeated by PM Modi-led NDA for the third consecutive time. 28 opposition parties came together as I.N.D.I. Alliance and still failed to form a government. Now, these parties would prefer to marshal up all their resources to craft narratives against PM Modi and the NDA-led government. It seems the abovementioned message is going to be part of such narratives.
The incident of misleading information about Margdarshak Mandal exemplifies the broader strategy of the opposition. They will seize upon any opportunity, no matter how trivial, to apprehensions against the ruling party. They will highlight perceived shortcomings, amplify dissenting voices, and leverage social media to spread their message far and wide.
By indulging in such actions, the opposition will hope to sway public opinion and create an atmosphere of uncertainty and discontent. The aim, you may ask. The aim will be to undermine the credibility of the Modi government. They will portray him as an ineffective leader and project as if he is out of touch with the ground reality. This war of narratives is not just about policy or governance; it’s about perception and influence.
In response, the NDA-led government has to remain vigilant and proactive to counter the narratives immediately. In Modi 2.0, the war of narratives led to anti-CAA and anti-farmer laws sentiments across the country. It is essential to curb such dangerous narratives at the budding stage before they become a law and order problem. Transparency and clear communication will be crucial in dispelling misinformation and maintaining public trust.