VHP leader tells social media influencers not to hurt religious sentiments

Nagpur: Over 40 social media influencers were addressed by the Organizing General Secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Milind Parande. The influencers were advised not to post content that could invite legal action or hurt religious sentiments. They were also urged to take up the Hindutva cause on social media.Sagar Pandey, a BJP cadre and also an influencer, said the discussions revolved around issues like conversion by evangelists, love jihad, and other issues of Hindu interests. "We discussed spreading messages that would prevent people from accepting other faiths. The influencers were told that people should be reminded of their Hindu roots and take pride in them. For example, there is a tribe in Nagaland that traces its links to the Pandavas," he said. Similar measures would be taken against love jihad too. The group was told about grooming gangs targeting women abroad.The influencers were also informed about recent data related to 13 lakh missing women as part of a measure to counter love jihad, said Pandey.Parande told TOI that the meeting was part of VHP's continuous outreach programmes meeting people from different social spheres. On the missing women, he said the data is already in the public domain as it was placed before Parliament.Vedansh Jaiswal, one of the influencers, said he posts his content on Instagram and focuses on Hindu-related issues. Pandey also showed his latest post explaining the Waqf issue. He also posted content on the Hamas attack in Israel. "There are a number of influencers who post content related to the Hindutva cause. We do consult experts for information and ensure that there is no violation of any law," said an influencer present in the meetng.