BJP social media cell asked to pressurise Snapdeal over Aamir? Twitter reacts

The BJP instructed its social media arm to build an online campaign and compel e-commerce firm Snapdeal to drop Aamir Khan as a brand ambassador after the actor criticised rising intolerance in India last year, a new book has claimed.

The BJP instructed its social media arm to build an online campaign and compel e-commerce firm Snapdeal to drop Aamir Khan as a brand ambassador after the actor criticised rising intolerance in India last year, a new book has claimed.

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, (C), with his wife, director Kiran Rao and son Azad celebrates at their residence in Mumbai. (AFP File Photo)

A report in the Indian Express said on Tuesday that Sadhavi Khosla, a former member of the BJP’s social media cell, shared purported messages sent from the senior leaders in the saffron party’s IT cell with journalist Swati Chaturvedi, whose book “I am a Troll” deals with right-wing trolls in social media.

In November last year, Khan shared that he and his wife considered moving abroad because a sense of “insecurity” and “fear” had seeped deep within society.

Khan’s comments had drawn sharp reactions from the BJP as well as some members of Bollywood and had snowballed into a huge row on social media.

The actor later clarified that neither he nor his wife Kiran had any intention of leaving the country and were proud Indians, but added that he stood by his remarks.

The BJP denied the “vested” and “unsubstantiated” allegations, but the news spread like wildlife on Twitter.