By Saiyed Moziz Imam Zaidi

New Delhi, Jul 18 (IANS): The Congress party, which has often been cornered by BJP panelists in television debates, has drawn up a fiery pack of media panelists and spokespersons with the one-line dictum: they will return fire for fire.

There are many aggressive spokespersons like Pawan Khera, Rohan Gupta, Gaurav Vallabh but leading the pack is team of ladies who are not relenting to bow down and are ready to reply in the same way.

Leading the charge are journalist turned spokesperson Supriya Shrinate, Alka Lamba, Radhika Khera and Ragini Nayak -- the last three come from the Youth Congress and Shama Mohammed, a dentist from Southern India.

While Khera is the party's National Media Coordinator, Lamba is not an official spokesperson but is seen in the TV debates asserting Congress viewpoints.

The women say that they are going to give back to the BJP spokespersons in the same manner, but will not be the first mover of such low level discourses which are often seen on TV news channels these days.

Supriya Shrinate, the latest entrant, has climbed the ladder fast. She says, "BJP spokespersons don't want to talk on the topic and if they do, then they don't have the factual data to back their claims and then resort to name calling and employ some other tricks to divert the issue."

"But now what I decided that if you call our leaders we are not going to be silent but give it back, then and there itself in the same way but I have decided not to say it first, but if provoked will not be the mute spectator," she said.

The Congress party had been lacking in countering BJP spokespersons like Sambit Patra, Gaurav Bhatia due to party's strictness to adhering to decorums, but now the situation has changed after having lost Congress spokesperson Rajiv Tyagi who died soon after a heated TV debate. The Congress has now decided to be aggressive in Television studios rather than to be mild, says a party insider.

Radhika Khera, who is in the media team and panelist, is also from the Youth Congress. She says, "We don't need any special preparation. The BJP government commits huge mistakes everyday making our job easier by giving us enough reasons to corner them -- their failure to handle the economy, rising prices, Covid vaccines, growing joblessness and their ability to 'lie'. So, when you have truth on your side, the liars have nothing to show and hence get exposed everyday in TV debates!"

Alka Lamba, who returned to the Congress party, is very active on social media and was one of the spokespersons to be sent to Goa to corner the BJP on inflation and fuel price hike.

Lamba says now BJP finds it difficult to hide behind the fake factory as we're there to expose them. "While BJP is more into personalized attack, I stick to issues and refrain from being dragged into BJP's diversionary tactics." She said the Congress party had decided not to participate in debates on issues which BJP wants, like those related to communal politics -- the Congress wants to focus on people-centered issues."