Right-Wing Fury Forces Govt to Halt anti-Hindutva Dilip Mandal’s Media Advisor Role.

Due to massive protests of Right Wingers, Modi Govt put on hold the appointment of Hindutva abuser Dilip Mandal as Media Advisor.

Prof. Dilip Mandal’s contract to join as Media Advisor on August 20 was put on hold due to widespread protest for such appointment.

Upendra Bharti | HENB | New Delhi | Aug 28, 2024:: The Nraendra Modi Government has temporarily halted the appointment of Dilip Mandal as Media Advisor amid significant backlash from right-wing groups. According to senior officials in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Mandal’s appointment was initially set to take effect on August 20 but was put on hold due to widespread protests. Reports suggest that Mandal had previously engaged with the BJP during the Karnataka Assembly election in April 2023, promoting a pro-Dalit narrative, with financial transactions routed through firms associated with him. Websites like Hindu Existence and P Guru led the charge in exposing Prof. Dilip Mandal’s surprising shift from anti-Hindutva activist to BJP supporter.

According to BJP sources, Union Home Minister Amit Shah allegedly supported the engagement of Dilip Mandal, who is said to have founded a US-based firm where his son is reportedly studying. Although Mandal’s appointment as Media Advisor has been put on hold, party insiders claim that the BJP is open to collaborating with him on paid narrative-building and public relations efforts, with payments channeled through linked firms. Mandal is reportedly involved in creating and disseminating paid social media content and PR campaigns. His attempts to secure deals with DMK, BSP, and Congress were unsuccessful, but he allegedly secured a deal with the BJP during the Karnataka Assembly election in mid-2023 to promote Dalit narratives favoring the party. The BJP has been engaging with him indirectly since then, but his cover was blown when his appointment as Media Advisor was announced.

For several days, right-wing groups (RWGs) have been expressing outrage and protesting the appointment of Dilip Mandal, a vocal critic of Hindutva, as Media Advisor by the Narendra Modi government. According to senior officials, Mandal’s role involved representing the government in TV debates and writing articles, as well as creating pro-Dalit narratives on social media to support the government’s agenda.

Mandal, a former journalist with India Today Magazine’s Hindi edition, has been accused of engaging in paid narrative-building exercises on social media. Despite claiming to be a Dalit activist, Mandal belongs to the OBC caste, with some sources suggesting he is from the Jaiswal caste, not the Mandal caste.

Mandal has a history of controversial behavior on social media, including spreading misinformation, abusing Brahmins, and posting inflammatory content, such as graphics depicting a pig wearing the sacred Janeu thread. He has also made derogatory comments against top RSS leaders.

Although Mandal is no longer affiliated with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, he is expected to continue his paid narrative-building and PR activities on social media, receiving payments through linked firms.
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_Inputs from Agencies.