Patna: A day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sarcastically asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to educate his ministers on the functioning digital world, Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Sunday alleged that a GoogleAd was published in a Karachi-based newspaper between October 20 and October 31 to influence voters in Bihar in favour of Kumar.
"A PR agency or media managers of Nitish Kumar had indeed advertised GoogleAd in the Pakistani newspaper 'The Dawn' which ran the said publicity material as scrawl which can be verified on the search engine's URL, called http://support.Google.Com/adwords/answer/2470108?hl=el," he told reporters.
One can post an advertisement on the said Google URL by giving details about the place, sections of people, newspapers readership, leadership and geographical area, Rudy said, slamming the Chief Minister for his assertion that the said advertisement was a GoogleAd which could be used by any media organisation anywhere in the world.
Claiming that the advertisement was displayed in scrawl on the e-edition of Dawn newspaper between October 20-31 last and withdrawn last evening upon hue and cry raised by NDA, the Union Minister asked Kumar to explain that if it was GoogleAd, then why was it withdrawn in haste.
The search engine's URL was also blocked to prevent anybody from seeing the GoogleAd in the Pakistani newspaper, he said.
Charging the senior JD(U) leader with spending crores of rupees on advertisement in the international media over election-related publicity and not declaring the same with the Election Commission, Rudy asked the former to apologise to the BJP leaders for questioning their knowledge of digital world as well to the people of Bihar.
Alleging that the said GoogleAd showcased Kumar's desperation to cling to power by hook or crook, the Union Minister upbraided him for seeking help of Pakistan to influence voters in Bihar.
Describing the Chief Minister's conduct as unethical, he demanded resignation of Kumar and asked him to tender an unconditional apology on the issue.
