New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram, who was arrested in the INX Media case last month, has been authorising his family to tweet on his behalf for a couple of weeks now.
The latest example came Sunday, in an apparent response to his trolls: “I have asked my family to tweet on my behalf the following: ‘I am thrilled to discover that according to some people I will grow golden wings and fly away to the moon. I hope I will have a safe landing’,” the former finance minister’s verified account posted on the micro-blogging site.
I have asked my family to tweet on my behalf the following:
"I am thrilled to discover that , according to some people, I will grow golden wings and fly away to the moon . I hope I will have a safe landing."
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 22, 2019
Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI on 21 August. He was first in CBI custody and was later sent to judicial custody in Tihar Jail. His Twitter feed, however, has been active since 8 September.
The account has been tweeting his views on various issues, including the recent debate over the ‘imposition’ of Hindi, and even expressed concern on the state of the economy.
My thoughts today are about the economy. Just one statistic tells the story. Export growth in August was -6.05%.
No country has achieved GDP growth of 8% without exports growing at 20% a year.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 16, 2019
I have asked my family to tweet on my behalf the following:
A dangerous idea that Hindi alone can unite the people of this country has been floated.
The Tamil people, as well as all others who speak other languages, will never allow the imposition of Hindi.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 18, 2019
Also read: Chidambaram’s judicial custody extended till 3 October in INX Media corruption case
Growing trend
Chidambaram is not alone. Another politician who has recently gone down this path is former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. Her Twitter account was taken over by her daughter, Iltija Mufti. Mehbooba has been under detention since the scrapping of Article 370 on 5 August, and Iltija says she’s operating her account with “due authorisation”.
I, Iltija emailed the Home Secretary of GOI & Home Secretary of J&K on 18th September seeking certain information for my mother, Ms Mufti. I am still awaiting a response. 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/ZtjFodUMEV
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) September 20, 2019
Iltija’s announcement came after the Supreme Court allowed her to meet her mother in Srinagar earlier this month. The daughter also attached the letter she had written to senior officials seeking information about her mother on 18 September, and said she was still awaiting a response two days later.
I, Iltija emailed the Home Secretary of GOI & Home Secretary of J&K on 18th September seeking certain information for my mother, Ms Mufti. I am still awaiting a response. 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/ZtjFodUMEV
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) September 20, 2019
In the letter, Iltija complained that Mehbooba was not allowed to meet anyone other than the members of her immediate family, that she had no access to newspapers, and had not had any political briefing from any member of her party during her detention.
In 2017, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav found a way to remain in touch with his followers on Twitter, despite being lodged in Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Jail after being convicted in the Rs 950 crore fodder scam case.
On 25 December 2017, two days after he began serving his prison term, the account had informed the former Bihar chief minister’s followers that it would be operated by his office in consultation with his family, and that he would speak his mind “through visitors”. The tweet, in fact, continues to be the pinned post on the top of his timeline.
Dear friends! While in jail, My Twitter handle shall be operated by my office in consultation with family. I shall speak my mind through visitors. The fight to preserve the Constitution & protect the rights of vulnerable groups shall go on.
— Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) December 25, 2017
Also read: Chidambaram, through family, tweets ‘no officer has done anything wrong’
Not just politicians
It’s a similar case for former Gujarat cadre IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, well known for taking on then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi over the 2002 riots. Bhatt was sentenced to life imprisonment in a 30-year-old custodial death case, and his account is being operated by his wife, Shweta.
On 2 August, Shweta shared Sanjiv’s emotional letter to his wife and children from jail, also attaching images of the letter.
In the letter, which he addressed from “the heart of darkness”, Sanjiv thanked his family for helping him become everything that he needed to be for serving a cause that was larger than all of them.
This is Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt,
In Sanjiv's absence, I have been his voice for the past 11 months…Today, Sanjiv himself has something to say to all of us, from Palanpur through this letter.
1/2https://t.co/n4FTMcOZvT pic.twitter.com/dJZSPHK1DI
— Sanjiv Bhatt (IPS) (@sanjivbhatt) August 2, 2019
In fact, Shweta has been tweeting and sharing posts on Facebook regularly over the past year, and recently also tweeted about the re-listing of Bhatt’s case in the Gujarat High Court.
“It is now 1 year and 15 days since my husband Sanjiv Bhatt was maliciously take away. After many delays, refusals by judges and unending delaying tactics by the prosecution, our matter challenging the sessions court order for life imprisonment was finally re-listed after 95 days in ten Gujarat High Court today…” she tweeted.
This is Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt,
It is now 1 year and 15 days since my husband Sanjiv Bhatt was maliciously taken away. After very many delays, recusals by judges and unending delaying tactics by the prosecution, our…https://t.co/hLwHCz1yyX#JusticeForSanjivBhatt #FreeSanjivBhatt
— Sanjiv Bhatt (IPS) (@sanjivbhatt) September 19, 2019