New Delhi: Journalist Rana Ayyub posted an article Tuesday that US Congresswoman and member of the Democratic Party, Tulsi Gabbard, refused an invitation to attend the ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event in Houston, Texas. But the Congresswoman later clarified that the article was misinformed.
Gabbard, who was elected in 2012 to the United States House of Representatives, is the first Hindu member to serve in the US Congress and is known for her association with American-Hindu organisations.
The article, published in a website called ‘Organisation for Minorities in India’, said the representative for Hawaii had refused the invitation to attend the event in Houston following Congressman Ro Khanna’s statement rejecting the Hindutva ideology a month back.
Ayyub tweeted the article, calling the Congresswoman’s decision a “turnaround”, but Gabbard clarified that the article was misinformed. She stated she was unable to attend the Houston event due to previously-scheduled presidential campaign events. However, she did hope to meet Modi during his US visit to discuss important India-US partnerships.
The ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event is scheduled to take place on 22 September in Houston, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the largest-ever audience in the US for any foreign leader. So far, more than 50,000 people have already registered for the event, and 8,000 are on the waiting list.
Ayyub received a lot of backlash for her remarks and was called a ‘peddler of fake news’.
https://twitter.com/nakshatra1812/status/1174335133123567617
What A Slap On @RanaAyyub Face By @TulsiGabbard
Rana Ayyub is now ridiculed internationally also Bcoz she is well known to spread fake news.
It's a lesson for us to not take her seriously in future.
By the way, I feel Bad #RanaAyyub Because You Got Insulted Internationally. pic.twitter.com/8WXyABRNwQ
— Shalini (@negishalini20) September 18, 2019
How does it Feel Rana Ayyub 1st for your book Gujarat Files to be trashed by India's Supreme Court as a piece of crаp & Now to be called out as a #FakeNews spreader internationally by Tulsi Gabbard too?? #RanaAyyub #TulsiGabbard pic.twitter.com/g8wNNsbkg5
— Rosy (@rose_k01) September 18, 2019
After Gabbard’s response, Ayyub ‘thanked’ her for clearing the air and hoped the Congresswoman will discuss Kashmir and civil liberties with PM Modi.
Also read: Howdy Modi and Trump showcase Indian lobby in US. But double loyalties can’t go far