Twitterati have exploded in anger after a representative from Mukesh Ambani-owned TV channel shared a new poster of the BJP declaring Prime Minister Narendra Modi ‘dada’ ahead of the crucial assembly polls in the state.
This was after Payal Mehta from the CNN-News18 took to Twitter to share PM Modi’s image with the hashtag #BattleForBengal.
No sooner did Mehta share the photo of the prime minister being projected as ‘dada (big brother in Bengali)’ to counter the image of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee as ‘didi (elder sister in Bengali),’ she began to face widespread condemnation.
.#BattleForBengal pic.twitter.com/oZlkFaseTQ
— Payal Mehta/પાયલ મેહતા/ पायल मेहता/ পাযেল মেহতা (@payalmehta100) March 8, 2021
While some likened Mehta’s action to endorsing a political party assembly polls, others tagged CNN to ask if the US-based news outlet was comfortable in their name being reduced to election campaigning for the BJP.
Indian Journalists. Such a sorry state of journalism in India. What a creep this journalist is. https://t.co/yJy2U6vL1E
— Fleabag (@imverma) March 8, 2021
.@CNN famously embedded its reporters with troops in Iraq to give us a peek into what a war looked like & what it took to win one.
It seems that its affiliate in India – @CNNnews18 is embedding reporters in Political Parties to show us how campaigning is done to win elections. https://t.co/EyqJERIspr— The DeshBhakt (@TheDeshBhakt) March 8, 2021
Open campaigning ? https://t.co/gyQKqzr8ax
— Professor (@TagdaBanda) March 8, 2021
Hey @CNN this is your network @CNNnews18 ‘s “senior correspondent” openly campaigning for a politician, are you all #Modia so cheap & easy to buy ? https://t.co/S8VLZUifVP
— Suryanarayan Ganesh (@gsurya) March 8, 2021
Aap party hain broker? https://t.co/RV2k7KQOCH
— Sumit Kashyap (@sumitkashyapjha) March 8, 2021
Mehta has not reacted even after being incessantly being trolled on the microblogging site.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a huge rally in Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground on Sunday when veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty formally joined the BJP. Speaking from the stage, Mithun had said that he was a ‘pure cobra’ and his one bite was enough to turn a human being into a photograph.
The assembly election in West Bengal will take place in eight stages with the first phase of the polling scheduled for 27 March. The counting will take place on 2 May.