After years of spreading lies and falsehoods on social media platforms, the Congress party has now officially launched a campaign to hire paid social media trolls to further its propaganda. The campaign was launched during a press conference convened by the Congress party on Monday.
Dubbed as “Social Media Warrior”, the campaign aims to enrol about 5,00,000 social media trolls, including 50,000 office-bearers from across the country. In the press conference, Congress leaders Pawan Khera, Pawan Bansal and Rohan Gupta unveiled the party’s campaign of raising a social media troll army to bolster its presence on various social media platforms.
It stands to reason that the 50,000 office bearing trolls that Congress party recruit would obviously be paid. However, it is also not clear if they would be paying their entire army of 5 lac trolls or they would choose only the best trolls to receive payment.
The development to raise a paid online troll army was supported by the senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who took to Twitter to admit that Congress party will henceforth avail the services of internet trolls to spread its propaganda.
Exhorting people to join Congress’ ‘online troll army’, Gandhi hailed internet trolls as the “backbone” of the social media fight and urged social media warriors to join Congress to take on what he described as “paid trolls”.
India needs non violent warriors to fight for truth, compassion & harmony. You are central to defending the idea of India.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 8, 2021
Come, #JoinCongressSocialMedia in this fight.
India needs you! pic.twitter.com/DhBsHMKU22
Promotional video, helpline line number and dedicated website for Congress’ “social media warrior” launched
During the press conference, a promotional video for Congress’ “social media warrior” campaign was also launched, aimed at inviting online trolls active on social media websites to work for the Congress party. A logo devoted to Congress’ “social media warrior” campaign was also revealed in the press conference.
Furthermore, a helpline number and dedicated website to recruit social media trolls have also been launched. According to the website, the Indian National Congress social media team, under the campaign, will be expanded at every village, city, state, and national level in the country.
‘If you to believe in the ideology of the Congress party and want to contribute to the nation-building, then let us be a part of the Congress Social Media Team,” the website read.
The website sought personal details such as name, phone number, Whatsapp number, state, district, PIN code, educational qualifications, number of hours trolls can devote working for the Congress social media team and their preferred areas of interest.
Besides, applicants were also asked to provide social media platforms on which they were active and the link of their most active social media handle.
Those interested for being a part of Congress’ social media troll army are expected to fill the form. According to the Congress spokespersons in the press conference, after careful scrutiny of those interested, interviews will be conducted to complete the recruitment process, followed by training to put the project in motion at the earliest.
Congress spokesperson claim Congress to raise online army to save the nation, but they don’t elaborate how
Responding to a question raised during the Press conference, Congress social media head Rohan Gupta said that the purpose of raising an “troll army” would be to counter trolls who indulge in “wrong trolling”. “On many occasions, we witness that people are being trolled for wrong reasons. We can’t stop the trolls because of their sheer strength. This army is being raised to counter their numerical dominance,” Gupta said.
Pawan Bansal, another Congress leader who was present at the press conference said that the social media warriors employed by the Congress party would help in saving the nation. However, he, along with other Congress functionaries, Rohan Gupta and Pawan Khera, did not elaborate on how raising an army of internet trolls would save the nation.