BJP IT cell, 12 influencers involved in influencing celebrity tweets, claims Maharashtra minister

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has made a huge claim over the probe against celebrity tweets on farmers’ protest. Deshmukh has said that the name of BJP IT cell head and 12 influencers have come to fore in the investigations so far.

After recovering from Covid-19, Anil Deshmukh spoke to media for the first time and clarified that he never said that celebrities will be investigated.

Deshmukh said, "My statement was tweaked. I never said that celebrities will be investigated. Lata Mangeshkar ji is God to us. Whole world respects Sachin Tendulkar. We are investigating the role of BJP IT cell in this to see whether the tweets were influenced or not."

Anil Deshmukh further said, "The investigations so far has revealed name of top BJP IT cell head and 12 influencers."

The Maharashtra government's intelligence department is conducting a probe into the charges that some celebrities were pressurised to post tweets with regard to the farmers' protest.

Congress has sought probe into the BJP's alleged connection with recent tweets of Bollywood actors, cricketers and celebrities on the ongoing farm protest and to find out whether BJP "arm-twisted" them in posting those statements which were deemed pro-Centre.

From actors such as Akshay Kumar to Ajay Devgn, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and iconic singer Lata Mangeshkar, all joined hands in supporting the government following international support to the farmers’ agitation.

The tweets came after American pop star Rihanna and climate activist Greta Thunberg backed farmers who are protesting near Delhi's border points against the Centre's three new farm laws.

(With inputs from PTI)