Past controversies resurface as new BJP social media team’s X posts disappear

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently reshuffled its national social media team, appointing Deepak Mhaske as its new national social media convener, while several other party members had their X profiles become inaccessible. This development came amidst ongoing youth-led protests, particularly in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar led by the Cockroach Janta Party.

Mhaske, with 15 years of experience in the BJP’s IT and social media machinery, previously managed the party’s social media during elections in Bihar and West Bengal. His X profile, created in 2009, now features several old posts that are no longer visible, including one from July 2024 questioning Rahul Gandhi’s religion and others targeting the Congress and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

Other new team members, such as Priti Gandhi, Shivanand Dwivedi, Alok Bhatt, and Arun Yadav, also experienced their X profiles becoming unavailable. Gandhi’s profile, linked to the women’s wing of the BJP, had previously sparked controversy over a post criticizing Indian cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues. Bhatt’s and Yadav’s profiles, which included posts referencing Islamic beliefs and targeting reservation policies, respectively, are also no longer publicly accessible.