TMC Accuses BJP of Funding YouTubers to Polarize Electorate
Yesterday, a TMC spokesperson alleged that the BJP manufactured a religious divide ahead of the West Bengal polls by paying various YouTubers.
The Trinamool Congress has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of manufacturing a divisive narrative through social media influencers ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh alleged that the BJP is using YouTubers to create a religious divide in the state for electoral gain. The allegations come as political tensions rise in the poll-bound state, with the ruling party claiming the opposition is attempting to polarize the electorate along communal lines.
Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of manufacturing a narrative of religious polarisation by paying YouTubers and social media influencers ahead of the West Bengal Assembly polls. Speaking to media persons inside the West Bengal Assembly, the Beleghata MLA cited expenditure statements filed with the Election Commission showing the BJP spent ₹286.99 crore on the election, a figure that has brought the names of several content creators into the public domain.
Ghosh singled out a specific influencer who visited Park Street’s Oly Pub in February and alleged he was served beef instead of the mutton he had ordered, identifying himself as a Brahmin during the confrontation. The incident led to the arrest of a waiter and damaged the reputation of the long-standing establishment. According to Ghosh, the same individual received ₹2.5 lakh from the BJP, a payment recorded in the party’s official expenditure returns. “Now we can see that he was paid ₹2.5 lakh by the BJP,” Ghosh said.
The TMC leader drew a distinction between advertising through mainstream media organisations and payments made to individuals running private YouTube channels. “There is a difference between a media house and a YouTube channel that someone is running for their private purpose,” he said. “Through their platforms, they have constantly been pulling down TMC’s image. But now ECI’s report made it clear that they did it for money. They were paid to create a manufactured narrative against us.”
Ghosh demanded an investigation into the conduct of these influencers, arguing that they pretended to be journalists while executing paid assignments, a practice he said raises serious questions about credibility in the public eye. The Election Commission filings show the BJP spent ₹217.16 crore on general campaigning and ₹69.83 crore on candidates during the bitterly contested election, which the BJP won with 207 of the 293 seats declared, reducing the Trinamool Congress to 80 seats. The ruling party had also engaged influencers during the campaign, launching its own ‘Ami Banglar Digital Joddha’ initiative to mobilise digital outreach.
The Hindu