AIMIM MP Jaleel, Sena (UBT) leader Danve slam Bawankule over remarks on journalists

Let us see how he survives without the media, said the AIMIM leader.Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council Ambadas Danve also criticized Bawankule.In a post on X, Danve, a senior Shiv Sena UBT leader, said The BJP thinks they can buy everything and everyone.

Lok Sabha MP Imtiaz Jaleel on Monday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule's controversial remarks related to journalists, saying the saffron outfit thinks everything comes with a price tag.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader said the media should boycott Bawankule for his remarks.

An audio clip of Maharashtra BJP chief Bawankule, in which he purportedly asked party workers to take journalists to 'dhabas' (roadside eateries) and treat them well to avoid negative publicity ahead of polls has gone viral, inviting allegations the ruling party was trying to manage the media.

Under fire from the opposition, Bawankule later clarified he only meant that journalists should be treated with respect and that party workers should try to understand their opinions about the allocated booths.

Jaleel, a former journalist, told PTI that Bawankule's remarks show the BJP thinks that everything in the country comes with a price tag.

''When they (BJP) came to power in 2014, they took control of the media directly or indirectly. Yet there are a few channels and newspapers which did not get into their (BJP) trap and do their job honestly. Chandrshekhar Bawankule should now be boycotted by journalists. Let us see how he survives without the media,'' said the AIMIM leader.

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council Ambadas Danve also criticized Bawankule.

In a post on X, Danve, a senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, said ''The BJP thinks they can buy everything and everyone. Bawankule should clarify whether this idea is his own brainchild or his bosses have told him about it. But the media will not work as per their (BJP) direction. If this was the case, the media would have not shown a mirror to the BJP over Manipur.'' Such things don't change people's mind and Karnataka election result was an example of the same, the opposition leader said in another post.

Meanwhile, a city-based association of journalists slammed Bawankule over his comments and decided to invite him for a tea party.

Shramik Patrakar Sangh president Vinod Kakde said the tea invite is their way of registering protest.

''We are going to the BJP office tomorrow and seek the appointment of state BJP head Chandrashekhar Bawankule for a tea party. We will host the party and we will pay for the tea party. This is to show that journalists are capable enough to pay for their tea party. We will host Bawankule for the party if he gives us time,'' Kakde said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)