Hyderabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Telangana unit – BJP4Telangana – has sparked controversy on by using Pepe the Frog in their election campaign video on X (formerly Twitter).
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has branded the cartoon character Pepe the Frog as a hate symbol because white supremacists and alt-right activists have appropriated the figure for racist or prejudiced internet memes. BJP’s usage of it has drawn criticism, as the Lok Sabha elections are underway.
The viral video, which was uploaded on Tuesday, April 16, on the official BJP’s Telangana X feed, purportedly features Pepe the Frog featuring historic events that are considered sensitive, such as the demolition of the Babri Masjid, the Gujarat riots, the building of Ram Mandir, Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and his “atrocities”, and so forth.
Users on social media pointed out the Telangana BJP using symbolism as that of hate groups and white supremacists with the use of Pepe the Frog in the party’s Lok Sabha election campaign videos.
According to the ADL, the usage of bigoted Pepe memes appears to be rising. The context of Pepe’s online use is important, If a meme is racist or if it appears in a context containing bigoted or offensive language or symbols, then it may have been used for hateful purposes and malicious intentions.
The BJP’s use of Pepe the Frog in their election campaign video is particularly concerning given the party’s history of using divisive and polarizing rhetoric. The party has been accused of promoting Hindu nationalism and stoking communal tensions in India. The use of a hate symbol in their campaign video raises questions about the party’s commitment to promoting unity and diversity.
The creator of Pepe the Frog, Matt Furie, has expressed his disapproval of the alt-right’s appropriation of the meme and has called it a “phase.” However, the ADL has stated that the use of racist and bigoted versions of Pepe memes seems to be increasing, not decreasing.
| 
