External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who has been subjected to online hate in the last few days, asked her followers in a Twitter poll if they approve of the abusive tweets the union minister has been receiving.
Twenty four hours after she started the poll, while 57 percent of the respondents backed her, 43 percent said ‘yes’ to online trolling. A total of 1,24,305 Twitter users took part in the poll.
After the poll ended on Sunday, 1 July night, Swaraj posted on Twitter, “In a democracy difference of opinion is but natural. Pls do criticise but not in foul language. Criticism in decent language is always more effective.”
Swaraj received hate messages on social media allegedly after her ministry transferred a passport officer for allegedly harassing an interfaith couple and stalling their travel documents.
In the wake of the Tanvi Seth passport row, Swaraj 'liked’ some tweets sent out by trolls and asked her followers if they approve of such tweets.
"Friends: I have liked some tweets. This is happening for the last few days. Do you approve of such tweets? Please RT," Swaraj tweeted on Saturday evening.
Swaraj Kaushal Calls Out Trolls
Sushma Swaraj’s husband and senior advocate, Swaraj Kaushal, highlighted the dirty side of Twitter by retweeting and later sharing a screenshot of a tweet asking him to “beat up” the union minister for “appeasement of muslims”.
“Friends, please see this,” posted Swaraj Kaushal as he called out the troll who identified himself as one Mukesh Gupta from IIT Delhi. His bio read, “Inventor, Designer. Love Modi”.
While Gupta deleted his tweet, Kaushal posted a screenshot of it, which read: “When she comes home tonight, why don't U beat her up & teach her not to do Muslim appeasment tell her Muslims will never ever vote for BJP [sic]”.
Reminiscing the past, Kaushal narrated an extremely personal account of how Swaraj cared for his mother when she was on her deathbed, and urged people not to use such words against her.
What Were the Tweets that Swaraj ‘Liked’?
Few of the tweets liked by Swaraj called her ‘Sushma Begum’ and alleged she is ‘ignoring Hindu voices.’
Why The Hate?
A Passport Seva Kendra official, Vikas Mishra, in Lucknow was transferred after an interfaith couple alleged that he humiliated them when they went to the office with their passport applications.
According to the couple, Mishra asked the husband to convert to Hinduism and pulled up the wife for marrying a Muslim.
A section of social media had attacked Swaraj and the ministry for taking action against Mishra, claiming that he was just doing his duty.
Asked whether the Ministry of External Affairs is contemplating taking any action against the trolls, Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said, "The EAM (External Affairs Minister) has responded to those malicious tweets and the trolling which she was subjected to in her own way and in a manner which she deemed fit. I don't think I have anything further to add to that."
(With inputs from PTI.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)