After realising that tweeting and blogging on key issues is creating confusion within the party rather than presenting a united face, the BJP leadership has asked its senior leaders to strictly adhere to the consensus view of the party on issues.
The party has already asked its leaders not to write on their personal blogs or tweet on policy related matters until the party has made official comments on those issues.
Sources disclosed the BJP leadership is of the view that the recent embarrassment faced by the party, after Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s remarks on the CVC appointment issue, could have been avoided if her reaction had come through the normal way of issuing statement and direct soundbytes.
Party leadership, it was learnt, feels that such incidents also blunt party’s attack on Congress-led UPA on issues like corruption and price rise and gives ammunition to opposition to be used against it.
BJP leadership is of the view that Ms Swaraj’s reaction (on PM’s statement) on Twitter was seen as a deviation from party’s official stand and was seen in speaking in different voices on the issue and thus creating a “confusion” within the party. While Ms Swaraj said she appreciated PM’s statement for accepting responsibility for P.J. Thomas’s appointment as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and the matter should rest, the party demanded a structured response from the PM in Parliament on the issue.
Sources said BJP chief Nitin Gadkari, who is trying to correct party’s image, had to intervene after his statement on the issue, was construed as a rebuff to Ms Swaraj’s statement. Ms Swaraj, it was learnt, spoke to Mr Gadkari after he gave official line of the party on PM accepting his “judgment of error” in Mr Thomas’s appointment. Mr Gadkari had said the party will continue raising the CVC issue.
Mr Gadkari, sources said, told Ms Swaraj that he had only said what the party’s official stand was and not opposed her statement.