The friction between the BJP’s state and central leaders kept under wraps over the past few months has been exposed by Bengal unit president Dilip Ghosh’s denial of having issued a letter that barred party functionaries from speaking to the media till the last phase of the Assembly polls got over on Thursday.

The letter dated April 25 and signed by state BJP vice-president and election office in-charge Pratap Banerjee has been circulating in the WhatsApp group of party leaders.

“This is to notify all concerned that the Hon’ble State President Shri Dilip Ghosh has instructed all senior BJP Leaders, Office-Bearers of Morcha’s & Cells not to make any statements on any Print or Electronic Media till 29th April 2021,” read the letter which mentioned that only official spokespersons were allowed to comment on behalf of the BJP during this period.

Ghosh has called the letter a fake one. “I’ve not issued any such diktat. I’ve seen the letter though. A lot of fake letters are doing the rounds these days. This could be one of them,” the Midnapore MP said.

As the denial has triggered several questions on why the letter found its way in the WhatsApp group of BJP office-bearers, multiple sources told this correspondent that Amit Malviya, the party’s IT cell chief and co-minder for Bengal, was behind the diktat.

“The letter has been issued in Dilipda’s name and he didn’t even have any idea that something like this was being prepared. This indicates again that a lot of things are happening in Bengal without the knowledge of local leaders,” a source said.

Several other sources said such interference by leaders deputed from Delhi in the state unit’s day-to-day affairs was demoralising workers, especially before the last phase of the polls.

“All of us have received this letter on the party’s official WhatsApp group. If the letter was fake, why would it be shared officially?” asked a BJP office-bearer.

A state Yuva Morcha (BJP’s youth wing) leader said Ghosh was livid when he had come to know about the letter and even blasted a member of the party’s media cell inquiring why such an order had been issued in his name without his consent.

“Then, he came to know that it was Malviya’s decision. So, he immediately decided to distance himself from the letter,” the young leader said.

According to a Morcha office-bearer, the fight between the leaders deputed from Delhi and local functionaries was under wraps because of the polls. “There have been several such cases, but B.L. Santosh, the national general secretary (organisation) of the party, managed them. This one, however, could not be kept under wraps,” said a source.

The reason behind the gag order, according to sources, is the backlash facing the Union government in the wake of the second wave of Covid-19. “Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have been pilloried for continuing their poll campaigns in Bengal even as patients died gasping for oxygen in Delhi. The gag order was issued to ensure that no state leader spoke on the issue as it could damage the BJP in the polls,” another source said.