NEW DELHI: A day after BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya created a Twitter poll, targeting television journalist Rajdeep Sardesai , the Editors Guild of India issued a statement on Saturday calling it a “deplorable act”.

“The EGI has noted with deep dismay and concern the deplorable act of Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP’s IT cell, in which he conducted an offensive McCarthyist social media ‘poll’ on noted journalist Rajdeep Sardesai,” the independent press body wrote in the statement.

US Senator Joseph McCarthy carried out a witch hunt against Communists and other Left-leaning intellectuals in the 1950s It also called the tweet “not only tasteless”, but also something that “questioned the integrity and patriotism of Mr Sardesai, who is a journalist of standing and former president of the EGI”.

“The Twitter poll by a national head of BJP also raises questions of the party’s commitment to healthy debate and dissent without allowing disagreement to degenerate into abuse. The guild urges Mr Malviya to immediately withdraw the socalled Twitter poll, and BJP to caution him strongly,” the Guild wrote.

Soon after the response, Sardesai tweeted, “I am grateful to the @IndEditorsGuild and fellow journalists for their support. Let me reiterate: I bear zero ill will to @amitmalviya: really do hope we can end toxic name calling and libel. Time for samvaad: I will be sending a copy of my new book to Mr Malviya as a NY gift!” The poll, which created around 11am on Friday was open for 24 hours.

Malviya had posted a question: “Rajdeep Sardesai should handle PR for ISIS”. He provided four options, “Agree, strongly agree, disagree and he is irrelevant”. The post garnered over 1.44 lakh responses by the time the poll ended. Sardesai replied, “My friend, carry on with this brazenly slanderous and incendiary campaign. My new year resolution is to stay calm! Have a peaceful and happy new year.. may spirit of India shine bright!...”

Sardesai wrote around 11.30am. At 9pm, Malviya posted some videos of violence purportedly committed by anti-CAA protestors and tweeted, “When one sees imaginary tricolors and pictures of Mahatma in protests cheered and led by Islamist slogans, leading to violence, destruction of public property & Temples, then they must be called out for their bigotry. Are these people willfully blind or have their PR glasses on?” Earlier on Friday, Sardesai had posted a tweeted: “At every anti CAA rally, I have spotted only the tricolor and pics of Mahatma Gandhi.. at pro CAA rallies, the saffron flag is seen along with the tricolour.. think about it.. have a good Friday..”

Several senior journalists had taken to Twitter to criticise Malviya. Journalist- author Paranjoy Guha Thakurta told TOI on phone that Malviya’s comment was “absolutely despicable”. Guha Thakurta also added that the BJP labels anyone who disagrees with them as “anti-nationals or Pakistani”, and the attack of Sardesai also follows the same pattern.

