BJP’s new IT cell chief Deepak Mhaskey on Tuesday outlined the party’s plans to strengthen its digital outreach, connect with Gen-Z and expand its social media presence down to the booth level under the new team
led by party president Nitin Nabin.
In an interview with CNN-News18, Mhaskey, who replaced Amit Malviya as the BJP’s IT cell chief,
said engaging with Gen-Z was both “easy and difficult” as social media plays a major role in their daily lives.“Gen-Z spends a lot of time on social media. The challenge is to deliver the right content to them at the right time. We will try to create good content. Malviya ji has also done a great job, and we will take that work forward. We will engage with Gen-Z through Yuva Morcha,” he said.
Mhaskey said the BJP would tailor its messaging to different generations and platforms rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. He said the party would work with its youth wing to develop programmes and ensure that its “positive content” reaches young people in a language and format they can relate to.
“If Gen-Z is more active on Instagram, we will take our content there,” he said, adding that the party would adopt a different approach for generations that are more active on platforms such as Facebook.
“The subject may remain the same, but the platform and the way it is presented can differ,” he said.
What Are Mhaskey’s Priorities?
Mhaskey said one of his key priorities would be to strengthen the BJP’s digital presence at the grassroots level and ensure that the party’s messaging reaches people through the platforms they use regularly.
“One of my priorities will be to ensure that BJP content and messaging reaches people through the social media platforms they use, including WhatsApp groups and Facebook, and that our social media presence reaches right down to the booth level,” he said.
He said the rapidly changing nature of social media would require the party to constantly adapt its strategy.
“Social media changes every day. We have to keep ourselves updated and be ready,” he said.
According to Mhaskey, another major challenge will be creating content that can sustain people’s interest while ensuring that the party’s digital outreach reaches the grassroots effectively.
Mhaskey To Meet Nabin On August 22
On his equation with BJP president Nitin Nabin, Mhaskey said he had previously interacted with him in his capacity as a party prabhari but had not yet discussed his new IT cell responsibility with him in detail.
“I have been talking to him as prabhari. We have not discussed this role. We will meet him on August 22,” he said.
Mhaskey said he would meet Nabin and discuss the party’s future digital strategy.
Tackling False Narratives
Mhaskey also spoke about the BJP’s approach to misinformation and what he described as false narratives circulating online.
He said the party would seek to counter misinformation by presenting the correct facts in an engaging manner. At the same time, he said, legal action should be pursued when online content violates the law.
He cited content that is allegedly anti-national, hurts sentiments, insults individuals or involves AI-generated material as examples where legal provisions could be invoked.
‘Everyone In BJP Has Responsibility’ For 2029 Polls
Asked about the BJP’s digital strategy ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, Mhaskey said the responsibility would not rest with the IT cell alone.
“Everyone in the party has a responsibility. We will do our part,” he said.
BJP Does Not Believe In Trolling, Personal Attacks: Mhaskey
Mhaskey also rejected allegations that trolling, fake news or personal attacks form part of the BJP’s social media strategy.
“There is nothing like that (fake news allegation). This is not in the BJP’s ideology. If someone tries to spread confusion, we will counter it,” he said.
On New Team Members Removing Old Posts
Asked about reports that some members of the BJP’s new social media team had deleted their old social media posts, Mhaskey said the members were starting afresh with their new responsibilities.
“We have to start new. Everyone has a new responsibility now,” he said.
On Govt Monitoring Of Social Media
On the government’s increasing monitoring of social media platforms, Mhaskey called it a necessary step and said freedom of expression should not be interpreted as a licence to insult people or spread misinformation.
“Freedom does not mean that we insult someone, spread confusion or write things that are against the interests of the country,” he said.
He said laws were already in place to deal with such violations and should be allowed to take their course.
Mhaskey also urged people to report objectionable content whenever they come across it, saying the BJP would do the same.
