3 min readRaipurAug 18, 2026 07:20 AM IST First published on: Aug 18, 2026 at 07:20 AM ISTThe BJP on Monday appointed Deepak Mhaskey as the party’s new national social media convener, replacing Amit Malviya. In an interview with The Indian Express, Mhaskey speaks about his role and his plans for the party, among other issues. Excerpts:What would be your main focus as BJP’s national social media convener?AdvertisementMy focus will be to tackle the fake narrative spread by the Opposition, which uses AI in reels to twist facts and mislead people. We have been creating positive content and taking it to people. I will try and add momentum to this.You replace Amit Malviya, who held the post for over a decade. What would you like to do differently?I have worked under him and served as the coordinator for Chhattisgarh. I have learnt a lot from him. I spoke to him today and sought his guidance on how to take his work forward. I hope to take this battle forward and give our work new dimensions.AdvertisementAlso Read | In BJP rejig, Smriti Irani, Ram Madhav back, Amit Malviya outMalviya was very active on social media. How will your approach be?Every person has their own style. He had his own approach. I will follow things I have learnt from him but you will also see my way of functioning.The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests seem to have dented the party and similar agitations may happen closer to the elections. How do you plan to handle them?Giving responses to protests is a normal part of political discourse. We will deal with issues as and when they arise. As I said earlier, we will make efforts to prevent the spread of fake information and narratives.10 points | In BJP rejig, Smriti Irani, Ram Madhav back, Amit Malviya outDo you have any Gen Z-specific strategy?We have a meeting on August 22, where we will get instructions. We will plan our strategy accordingly. I will ensure the right information reaches Gen Z.Every state has its own way to communicate. We need to make use of different social media platforms. We will plan campaigns accordingly.Will state party units have the power to post content or will information flow be controlled centrally under your leadership?Both the centre as well as state units have their own roles. We will work in tandem.Do you think state units should have more power?In the BJP, it is not about power. We work in coordination and our roles are decided by the party leadership.Do you see any weaknesses in the BJP’s social media cell?There are no weaknesses.