New Delhi: The 21-day lockdown and strict social distancing measures to battle coronavirus have prompted the Congress to rescind its 10-month old decision of not sending its spokespersons on television debates.
The party has decided to send its spokespersons and panellists to TV channels to articulate its views on the pandemic.
However, according to a party functionary familiar with the development the Congress will continue to boycott certain “anchors who are perceived to be biased and only toe the line” of the government and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
It was on May 30 last year soon after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections that the Congress had decided not to send its spokespersons on television debates.
The move was then widely attributed to the party’s discomfiture caused by the leadership crisis triggered by Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s insistence on quitting the post.
But Congress functionaries had maintained that the decision was taken to register protest against the alleged “unfair treatment” meted out to its panellists in debates.
“This is our protest against the acquired characteristic of the media. There is no level playing field on news channels. The TV debates are more like circus than discussion where they pitch one against the other and most of it is aimed at painting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP as hero and all the opposition as villain,” an office bearer of the party’s media department had then said.
But the Covid-19 crisis forced a rethink in the Congress and accordingly it was decided to revoke the earlier decision.
Keen to ensure that its voice reaches a wider audience, the grand old party has started using new technologies available to cater to the needs of the media.
From this week, Congress spokespersons have addressed daily press briefings through video-conferencing. The questions from journalists are sought well in advance and after initial remarks the spokespersons respond to those.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has also held a meeting through video-conferencing with party chief ministers on the coronavirus situation and the steps taken by the state government to deal with the crisis and also spelt out her suggestions.
A meeting of Congress general secretaries, in-charge of states, state unit chiefs, legislature party leaders and heads of frontal organisations was held on March 28 through video-conferencing to assess and discuss the preparedness in fighting Covid-19.
As many 82 functionaries, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Ahmed Patel, KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala took part in it.
And now on Thursday, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party’s highest decision-making body, will discuss through video-conferencing the impact of the 21-day nationwide lockdown on the economy, poor and marginalised besides the problems faced by the migrant workers.