VP Hamid Ansari being hounded on social media after Ram Madhav’s tweet on his Yoga Day absence

By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,

New Delhi: Vice President Hamid Ansari is being hounded on social media for the second day after BJP leader’s tweet questioning his absence from the International Yoga Day event on June 21. This is the second time that Ansari’s ‘patriotism’ has been questioned. Earlier, he was hounded by self proclaimed Hindu nationalists for ‘not saluting’ the national flag, although protocol does not require anyone except the President to salute.

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On June 21, for the first time International Yoga Day was celebrated. National general secretary of BJP Ram Madhav tweeted questioning why did Rajya Sabha TV “completely blackout’ the Yoga Day celebrations his ‘absence’ from the celebration.

Screen grab of Madhav’s tweet that he later deleted.

He later, however, deleted this tweet saying that he has been “informed” that the VP he is “unwell” and hence he “withdrew” his tweet. After some time he deleted this tweet as well.

Screen grab of Madhav’s tweet that he later deleted.

Although Madhav deleted both his tweets, it was enough to signal to the Hindutva trolls, who soon began hounding the VP, not only for his absence but for ‘backing out’ the celebration on RSTV, which comes under him as Ex-Officio Chairman of the Upper House.

CEO of Niti Digital that runs pro-Modi news portal Niti Central, Shashi Shekhar went on to the extend of demanding resignation of the Vice President.

Famous BJP supporter on social media Priti Gandhi tweeted:

It should be pointed here that RSTV did almost all day coverage of Yoga. In fact on its YouTube channel, over five hours of video contents of programme broadcast on June 21 are available under special category International Day of Yoga – 2015, that includes documentaries, besides the live coverage of the events, like the PM speech and coverage from the Rajpath.

Some on social media, suffering from selective amnesia, even shared the Republic Day controvery photographs.

Some senior journalists, however, did come in defence of the Vice President, even questioning the rationale of attack on him, due to his personal faith.

Some other active Twitteratis pointed how as a Muslim even someone holding the high office of Vice President is suspected and has to prove his ‘patriotism’:

The famous Twitter handle @brownbrumby even suggested Ansari should resign to “defend” himself from “bigoted attacks from Hindtuva extremist government.”

Meanwhile, the Vice President office has clarified that he was not invited to the Yoga Day event in the capital, news agency PTI reported.

Related:

The row that wasn’t: VP ‘not saluting’ the tri-colour exposes Hindutva prejudices