The BJP has lined up multiple social media workshops and volunteer meetings throughout August and September to ramp up its online campaign ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
A notice issued by BJP's national general secretary Arun Singh on July 28 termed it the Shankhnaad campaign. The notice said the purpose of this campaign was "to strengthen its (BJP's) social media machinery from State to Mandal level and expand its on-ground social media network".
However, even before it could take off, the national Opposition hit out at the BJP and said the workshops would be the saffron camp's way of oiling the "nuts and bolts of its fake news machinery".
The BJP's plan to hold workshops for its IT cells comes in the backdrop of Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's warning to her cabinet colleagues last month.
A minister present at that meeting said Mamata had said the BJP IT cell might circulate fake videos in an attempt to disturb Bengal's law and order to shift the focus from Manipur.
Trinamul vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar said the BJP's decision to activate its IT cells went to show the impact of the 26-party INDIA coalition.
"It is the BJP's practice to use fake accounts and fake news to build a false narrative. Since they feel challenged by our alliance they will concoct lies in these workshops to polarise voters...," he said.
CPM's central committee member Samik Lahiri echoed Majumdar.
Lahiri said the BJP has no other option but to polarise the electorate by spewing hatred through fake news because it has failed to deliver on its development claims.
"This has always been their practice. Now, the BJP will indulge more in spreading fake news because the INDIA alliance is ready to take them on. See how the Prime Minister is attacking the alliance every day," Lahiri said.
Bengal BJP chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said: "It is every political party's right and duty to use all forms of media to reach out to the people."
As a part of its Shankhnaad programme, the BJP has divided the country into seven zones. Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha come under the third zone, to be looked after by Pankaj Shukla, the state coordinator for IT and social media in the Gujarat BJP.