Gaurav Taneja & Dhruv Rathee's War of Words on UP Government's Influencers Policy

YouTubers Gaurav Taneja and Dhruv Rathee are again at loggerheads on social media. And as usual, the reason is political. Rathee, who is known for his statements on politics has called out the Uttar Pradesh government's new social media policy under which influencers can earn as much as ₹8 lakh a month for promoting the government. However, Taneja questioned his statement.

Dhruv Rathee Calls Out UP Government:

Dhruv slammed the government and wrote, "Uttar Pradesh Govt is saying it will pay up to ₹8 Lakh to Influencers to promote the government. This is Legalized Bribery. From Tax Payer's Money. Any influencer who does this should be publicly shamed."

Gaurav Taneja Reacts:

Supporting the government's policy. Gaurav wrote, "Should all Newspapers and TV Channels, be also shamed, who show paid ads to promote any govt in power ?"

The post on X has gone viral and netizens have filled the comment section with mixed reactions. A user wrote, "There is always a disclaimer that it's a paid advertisement. But the way you are defending, it looks like you are already a paid agent." Another commented, "So you are saying even you are a paid agent. How much did you get for selling your soul?

About Government's Policy:

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved the Uttar Pradesh Digital Media Policy, 2024, under which select influencers will receive state advertisements for promoting UP government schemes on their social media channels. Under this policy, influencers will be paid a maximum of ₹5 lahks, ₹4 lahks, ₹3 lahks and ₹2 lakhs for their accounts on X, Facebook and Instagram.

Should all Newspapers and TV Channels, be also shamed, who show paid ads to promote any govt in power ? https://t.co/SeeuAEB7KU

— Gaurav Taneja (@flyingbeast320) August 28, 2024