Earlier in February this year, Snapdeal had to drop Bollywood actor Aamir Khan as their brand ambassador due to a controversy surrounding him. The actor had made a statement that said:
“Kiran (Rao) and I have lived all our lives in India. For the first time, she said, 'Should we move out of India?' That’s a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make to me. She fears for her child. She fears about what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers every day. That does indicate that there is a sense of growing disquiet."
This revelation by Aamir resulted in a wave of anger against the actor as his words were considered offensive to the nation and its residents. However, according to journalist Swati Chaturvedi's book 'I am a Troll' the social media cell of BJP had received instructions from the political party’s information and technology cell to put pressure on Snapdeal through a social media movement against Aamir. This, in turn, left them with no choice but to drop Aamir as its brand ambassador. The termination of Aamir’s contract was then attributed to his comments on ‘intolerance’ in India.
In the book, that is being published by Juggernaut, Swati Chaturvedi has spoken to a former volunteer at the BJP social media cell Sadhvi Khosla. Khosla was a part of PM Modi’s social media team during the 2014 elections, who decided to quit the team by the end of the year. Khosla said that within a few months of working in the team she realised that things in the party didn’t function the way she thought it did.
Khosla said that Arvind Gupta, the BJP IT cell head, had told her that the goal was to attack and expose the UPA government and the Gandhi family. Volunteers were also instructed to target some of the mainstream journalists like Barkha Dutt and Rajdeep Sardesai and defame certain politicians on social media. ‘Trolls’ were made to attack people who said anything against Modi. Khosla even admitted to the use of force against her to make her send messages trolling and abusing minorities, liberals, journalists and the Gandhi family. Whatsapp messages that threatened rape against Barkha were sent out on Gupta’s orders, who’s word was final as he was directly in touch with Modi.
Khosla is quoted in the book saying, “It was a never-ending drip feed off hate and bigotry against the minorities, the Gandhi family, journalists on the hit list, liberals, anyone perceived as anti-Modi." Khosla has revealed that when BJP decided to attack Aamir Khan over his ‘intolerance in India’ remark, that was when she decided that she was done with the party. At the time of the controversy, Gupta had messaged every member of the party’s social media team to 'Sign the Petition to Snapdeal India. Appeal Snapdeal to drop Aamir Khan from their ads'(sic). It also provided the link to sign an online petition. By January 2016 end, Snapdeal decided to not renew Khan's contract.
Khosla said that this decision against Aamir had Modi’s approval and that anyone who goes ahead and comments against the PM will continue to face the same consequences. Gupta, while speaking to ‘The Indian Express’ denied Khosla’s allegations saying that she was a supporter of the Opposition Congress party and that her claims are unsubstantiated. He further said that the BJP had published its social media guidelines that stated they should never encourage trolling and that the social media cell was being headed by a different person since July 2015.