The political scene in Maharashtra was rocked by a recent controversy regarding Bhau Torsekar. BJP’s online warriors and on-ground Sena are picking sides in a short-lived yet fierce fight between this Senior Marathi journalist and BJP IT Cell In-charge Shweta Shalini.
Shri Torsekar spoke about macro-level and micro-level mismanagement by Devendra Fadnavis and BJP Maharashtra in a recent YouTube video. While naming a few culprits, he also named BJP Maharashtra IT Cell in-charge Shweta Shalini. The video, its accusations, and Shweta Shalini’s legal notice to Shri Torsekar have stoked a political firestorm. Let’s explore!
Bhau Torsekar And His Critique Of BJP Maharashtra
In his hard-hitting YouTube video, Shri Torsekar criticized Shweta Shalini’s part in mismanaging advertisements and promotions during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He attributed the BJP’s loss of seats to the party’s collective failure to connect with its supporters on the ground. Moreover, as per his sources, all fingers pointed at Shweta Shalini’s pivotal role in the debacle.
The video begins with Shri Torsekar speaking about Divya Spandana and Pravin Chakravarty. He accuses these two in particular as the orchestrators of a hate campaign against PM Modi and the BJP. After that, he names Shweta Shalini for misusing campaign funds by paying those individuals or companies who oppose the BJP and its ideology. He claimed that Shalini’s misjudgment in choosing the correct promotional partners in the 2024 Lok Sabha campaigns had a clear negative impact on the party.
Reliable sources told Shri Torsekar how Shweta Shalini’s misinformed choices allowed funds meant to enhance BJP’s image ended up in the hands of those who ridiculed the party.
Additionally, he speaks in video on the lack of enthusiasm and trust in the BJP ground workers. He stresses that developmental politics depends on the work of the party cadre and its ability to connect with the public. He advises BJP Maharashtra head Devendra Fadnavis to reconnect the broken lines of conversation in the party before the state elections this year. Else, he warns that the party’s vote share will fall drastically in the state. Moreover, he asks Team Fadnavis to check the BJP Maharashtra’s IT Cell with respect to Divya Spandana’s angle. Consequently, he inadvertently asks the party to investigate expenditure done in the name of campaigning and advertising.
Shweta Shalini’s Response
Shweta Shalini went to battle against Bhau Torsekar for naming her in his video. She expressed disappointment and disbelief that Shri Torsekar would make such allegations against her. She emphasized her respect for Torsekar as a senior journalist but lamented that he did not understand her side of the story. Therefore, she justifies her action of slamming him with a defamatory case.
Her tweet on the legal notice makes clear demands: an apology, retraction, Rs.1 compensation, and the names of the people who cast aspersions in her work.
In a later tweet, Shweta Shalini highlighted her 17 years of dedication to the BJP. She paid her respects to Shri Torsekar and asked him to be vigilant against her detractors. While withdrawing her notice, she clarified that she had no authority over media and advertising responsibilities during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Thus, it is impossible for her to be the cause of media mismanagement in the elections. Hence, she requested Bhau Torsekar to name the individuals who have conspired against her. Finally, she assures that the BJP Maharashtra shall look into the matter and investigate the misinformation campaign that harms her and the party’s reputation.
Public Outcry To Shalini’s Legal Notice
We Support Bhau Torsekar!
BJP IT Cell has gone totally rogue @Dev_Fadnavis & We will Fight it.
Bhau is among the few Indic voices in Marathi Media dominated by Leftists. If BJP does this to their own, who will stand up for them?
RT if you support Bhau!
— The Jaipur Dialogues (@JaipurDialogues) June 24, 2024
Shweta Shalini’s legal notice to Bhau Torsekar for his video has sparked the rage against BJP by its own supporters. The triggered netizens demand an apology and accountability from both Shweta Shalini and BJP Maharashtra. Most analysts ask why the BJP is attacking its supporters for providing constructive feedback.
आदरणीय भाऊ तोरसेकर,@BTorsekar @BhauTorsekar
आपण माझ्या विषयी नुकताच एक व्हिडिओ बनवला. तुमची प्रतिमा एक ज्येष्ठ सुजाण पत्रकार अशी माझ्या मनात आहे आणि एक स्पष्ट वक्ता पत्रकार म्हणून मला आपल्याविषयी प्रचंड आदर आहे . व्हिडिओच्या सुरुवातीलाच तुम्ही म्हणता तुम्ही मला ओळखत नाही, कधी…
— श्वेता शालिनी- मोदी का परिवार (@shweta_shalini) June 24, 2024
Shweta Shalini subsequently and publicly withdrew the legal notice and deleted her tweet.
However, the political waters are already muddied. Word on the ground is that Shalini has been trying to win political favors by pleasing the ego of senior party leaders. Some analysts state that she made a pamphlet to show how the Modi wave of 40% support in 2013-14 has declined to a mere 25% in 2016. Thus, while Shweta Shalini calls for unity within the party, the damage is done. The image of both the party and the person is smeared with colors of greed, corruption, and ego.
This is Shweta Shalini state BJP IT head. She thinks Dev Bhau is very famous in Maharashtra. More than Modiji. She is responsible for all the fiasco in Maharashtra currently. She needs to go asap. Also heard that she is the reason for legal action on Bhau Torsekar. @Dev_Fadnavis… pic.twitter.com/zhint80XP8
— Curly Jeevi (@curlykrazy07) June 24, 2024
Is this how BJP Maharashtra will correct the mistakes made during the Lok Sabha elections in preparation for the upcoming State Assembly elections?
Narrative Wars In Maharashtra
A personal legal notice filed by Shweta Shalini is burning bridges for BJP Maharashtra. Her fastest-finger-first action of filing a defamation case before consulting her seniors has cost the party dearly. The Marathi media is already misquoting the situation to state that the BJP had abandoned its own supporter – Bhau Torsekar. They are building the image that Shri Torsekar is being targeted by the BJP Maharashtra IT Cell.
In reality the legal action was a personal work of a party worker, not BJP Maharashtra.
Thus, the short but fierce battle between Bhau Torsekar and Shweta Shalini has brought a political firestorm for the BJP in Maharashtra. The Lok Sabha 2024 election results gave one very important lesson to the BJP, one that it has failed to learn: Negative Campaigns Leave Behind A Lasting Damage. Therefore, the internal conflict and fault lines exposed by this face-off between Shri Torsekar and Ms. Shalini will create additional problems for the BJP in the upcoming State Assembly Elections.
Let’s hope that BJP Maharashtra is strong enough to weather the challenge of the Vidhan Sabha Chunav. Also, may Team Fadnavis find ways to mend fences and foster unity soon! Else the future of BJP in the state seems in grave danger!