MPs, ministers tag BJP's youth wing on social media to ensure help to needy during COVID-19 lockdown

By Pragya Kaushika
New Delhi [India], April 16 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been utilising the power of social media to reach out to the people in need of assistance during the nationwide lockdown in the wake of COVID-19.
A strong unit, backed by tech-savvy members, is reaching out to those in need in every nook and corner of the country via social media. The organisation is utilising its strong nationwide team of members. Albeit, without thronging the streets using curfew passes.
Rather, the BJYM has put social media to use to reach out to patients, specially-abled and animals that need medical attention.
Several Members of Parliament have also tagged the BJYM on social media in an effort to seek help or make them reach out to a call for help.
For example, Ajay Pratap Singh, BJP MP in Rajya Sabha, tagged them to send help to people. Union Minister Smriti Irani also thanked a post holder of the youth organisation for helping students. RJD's Tej Pratap Yadav too had thanked the unit for helping people from Bihar who were stuck in Uttarakhand during the lockdown.
BJYM office bearers and members are also actively looking for people in need of any assistance during the lockdown. With its members spread across the country, the organisation has been proactively providing food, medicine or any other assistance required by people.
Speaking to ANI, Charu Pragya, national in-charge of the legal unit of BJYM, said that after providing food, the focus is to help sick people in need of medicines and specially-abled persons who need any assistance.
"Apart from making sure no one sleeps hungry, we are coordinating for medicines and ambulances and getting patients admitted to hospitals. We have also helped people reach for funerals of their loved ones over a distance covering several states. Specially-abled people and elderly people are a priority for us right now," she said.
How does it work? The key contact in the region is asked to coordinate with the local police or the administration to seek help.
The organisation has found a unique way to establish contact and assure that the tasks allocated to its members are fulfilled. "Our members, in the requisite area where assistance is required, are tagged on their social media accounts. And they are encouraged to post pictures of assistance provided to people in need," said Shivam Chhabra, national media in-charge, BJYM.
This ensures that morale of people in the organisation remains high and they are also
able to fulfil their duty towards society.
Devang Dave, BJYM point man in Maharashtra, is proactively working with the postal department for the speedy delivery of PPE kits.
Vinoj Selvam, President BJYM Tamil Nadu, is providing active help to many students from the North-Eastern states that are stranded in southern states. Selvam, along with his fellow BJYM members, is ensuring that they don't run out of ration or help.
"There are times when we need higher authorities to tend to the request. We tag and put in a personal request or reach out to senior leaders to ensure that people get the help they need," said Chhabra.
Those stranded in Uttarakhand too have got help via BJYM. Neha Joshi, the media co-in charge of BJYM said that the requests to help people pour in from various quarters including ministers, MPs and MLAs.
Assistance is also being provided in the North-East states by the organisation.
Benjamin Yepthomi BJYM president Nagaland has been actively coordinating for all of North-East. Whereas Harsh Sanghavi, an MLA from Gujarat and also national Vice President of BJYM, is ensuring that Gujarat won't fall off the chart in reaching out to those who are calling for help.
In addition to this, the BJYM is feeding the animals too. "When we follow the motto of 'feed the needy', we also make sure stray animals are not forgotten," Charu Pragya said. (ANI)