New Delhi: Newly appointed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took to Twitter to thank social media head of the Congress Divya Spandana for her congratulatory message. However, there is a twist in the tale: the congratulatory message is no longer there and neither is Divya Spandana. She has taken a ‘break’ from social media and politics. At least, for now.
Thank you very much for the support and wishes. https://t.co/WXpLA8JtZD
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) May 31, 2019
Subramanian Swamy cannot distinguish between Wahabi and Wasabi — he had taken to Twitter last Friday to apologise for attributing the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka to Shia Muslims when it was ‘wasabi Sunnis’, he wrote. He has been called out for it in this delightful tweet.
The wasabi influence on Sushi Islam is exaggerated. Sushi itself has its issues and gets away with a lot thanks to mainstream political correctness that presumes any criticisms are intolerant. Wasabi made Sushi worse, true, but it's important not to overstate it. https://t.co/MtlhxLguBM
— Rasha Al Aqeedi (@RashaAlAqeedi) May 31, 2019
Non-political personalities don’t usually make it to this list, but some tweets just can’t be ignored. Here is Madhu Kishwar’s contribution to increasing our knowledge of Nehru and Gandhi and the history of modern India.
Nehru's extraordinary hold over Gandhi can only be explained by gay relation between 2. I heard from South Indian friend in whose family home Nehru & Gandhi once spent night–that both slept in same bed. Nothing wrong in being gay. But bypassing Patel to favour Nehru unacceptable https://t.co/wvHzQXrT0e
— MadhuPurnima Kishwar (@madhukishwar) June 2, 2019
Looks like (still unsure) Congress president Rahul Gandhi is finally out of his self-imposed social media exile. Here’s his clarion call to the 52 Congress MPs working together like a “pride of brave lions.” Since the Lok Sabha is anyway a jungle, his analogy is quite apt.
The Congress Party may have just 52 Lok Sabha members, but we will work together like a pride of brave hearted lions to protect our Constitution & Institutions & to fearlessly do our duty as the leading Opposition party. The BJP will have no walkover in Parliament. pic.twitter.com/Rx8aUZcqn3
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 1, 2019
Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani shared a rather disturbing video of a Gujarat BJP MLA Balram Thawani beating up a woman. When Prime Minister Modi spoke about ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’, surely this is not what he had in mind?
क्या हम माननीय प्रधानमंत्री (@narendramodi, @PMOIndia) से उम्मीद कर सकते है कि वह इस महिला को लातों से पीटनेवाले गुजरात के विधायक बलराम थावाणी को भारतीय जनता पार्टी से निष्कासित करेंगे! या भाजपा के विधायक बहनों को सरेआम पीटते रहे और जनता चुपचाप देखती रहे? कारवाई तो करनी पड़ेगी! pic.twitter.com/42YW3ZNMhc
— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) June 3, 2019
Translation: Will our honorable Prime Minister (@narendramodi,@PMOIndia)expel Gujarat’s MLA Balram Thawani from the Bharatiya Janata Party, who has beaten him this woman! Or did the BJP MLAs beat the sisters completely and the people kept watching them quietly? Action will be done!
Swaraj Abhiyan’s Yogendra Yadav had his own #fakenews moment when he called out OpIndia. The latter had published a story claiming Yadav called BJP voters idiots but the video grab was incomplete.
If you want to see an example of how fake news is generated, look at this heading and the full quotation in the text.
Should one expect an apology? https://t.co/osXQtt4H4v— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) June 1, 2019
Pl check 43:00 to 44:15 in the full video link below, listen to the next 30 secs chopped here to make me sound opposite of what I said.
I was only paraphrasing a reaction to the verdict that I find "fundamentally flawed".
Should I expect an apology?https://t.co/ARuOswKMpZ
— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) June 1, 2019
On #WorldBicycleDay, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan tweeted a video of himself cycling to work. If the rest of the Modi cabinet did the same, they would really be fit.
#Cycling मेरा पसंदीदा स्पोर्ट् है।हफ्ते में 4 दिन सुबह साइकिल चलाकर अपने आवास से लोधी गार्डन जाता हूं और जब भी समय मिलता है, साइकिलिंग करना पसंद करता हूं। #WorldBicycleDay के मौके पर साइकलिंग कर #पर्यावरण को स्वच्छ व खुद को स्वस्थ रखने की अपील की। #ModiSarkar2 @UN @MoHFW_INDIA pic.twitter.com/t9oa7Zjoe3
— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) June 3, 2019
Translation: #Cycling My favorite sport is.In the week, cycling in 4 days, I go to Lodhi Garden from my residence and whenever I get the time I like to do cycling. #WorldBicycleDay Cycling on the spot #पर्यावरण Appeal to keep clean and healthy. #ModiSarkar2 @UN @MoHFW_INDIA
Monday saw Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announce free metro and bus rides for women. In response, BJP leader Vijay Goel observed that AAP had finally woken, but the public is well aware of such schemes being announced just before elections. Well, maybe he is just taking a leaf out of the BJP’s book of cash transfers, Mr. Goel?
दिल्ली के चुनाव से पहले केजरीवाल सरकार अब सो कर जाग रही है। अब मेट्रो में मुफ्त सफर बिजली के ज्यादा फिक्स्ड चार्ज सब याद आ रहे है। जनता बहुत जागरूक है।
— Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) June 3, 2019
Translation: Before the Delhi elections, the asleep Kejriwal government has woken up. Now the metro is free but everybody remembers the increased electricity prices.The public is very aware.
Senior BJP leader Suresh Prabhu complained to Twitter about a drop in followers. Seems like after the elections, bhakts have gone AWOL — or maybe they were just dummy accounts?
My dear friends.Noticed a disturbing trend,many of your postings get deleted selectively on my timeline.Would request @TwitterIndia to take note.Also observing for a while now,followers get removed.Hope my friends will appreciate its being done without any knowledge to us
— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) June 2, 2019
In a strong reaction to the imposition of Hindi in the new education policy, DMK president M.K. Stalin said #StopHindiImposition. And, to drive the point home he tweeted in Tamil.
மொழி உணர்வு கலந்த தமிழர்களின் ரத்தத்தில் “இந்தி” என்ற கட்டாயக் கலப்பிடத்தை யார் வலுக்கட்டாயமாகச் செலுத்த முயன்றாலும் அதை தி.மு.கழகம் கடுமையாக எதிர்த்துப் போர் தொடுக்கும்!
இதுகுறித்து கழக MP-க்கள் நாடாளுமன்றத்தில் தங்களது வலுவான எதிர்ப்பை தெரிவிப்பார்கள்!#StopHindiImposition pic.twitter.com/1lRjxHOqWu
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) June 1, 2019
Translation: Whoever is forcing the imposition of Hindi, the DMK will be strongly opposed to them in this war! In this regard, the MPs will express their strong opposition in Parliament! #StopHindiImposition
With inputs from Rachel John
Also read: Subramanian Swamy’s rivalry with Arun Jaitley goes back to 1993 IIT-Delhi salary row