Former MP Priya Dutt, the Congress candidate from Mumbai Northwest constituency, is facing flak on social media as she went to file her nomination papers accompanied by elder brother and actor Sanjay Dutt among others on Monday.
Twitter seems to be bursting with comments trolling her for going to file her papers along with her brother, who was a “co-conspirator of Mumbai blasts”. Sanjay Dutt, who had been convicted under the Arms Act in a 1993 Mumbai blasts case and handed out a prison term, was kept in Pune’s Yerawada jail and walked out in 2018 after completing his time.
After Priya Dutt announced that she would be accompanied by Sanjay Dutt when she goes to the returning officer to file her nominations, Twitter erupted with adverse reactions. Many called the Dutts a “family of criminals”, and said Priya Dutt was following the path of “gundaism and terrorism”.
Many, however, also spoke in her support, reminding people that Dutt had already served jail time for his crimes.
@PriyaDutt_INC is just following the steps what #Congress has created of Gundaism and Terrorism. A member of her family killed Mumbaikars, hope it will be remembered. https://t.co/7jE8iBcKSg
— Alert Citizen (@AlertCzen) April 8, 2019
Amazing to see Priya Dutt filing Mumbai Northwest seat nomination along with a convicted criminal who is co-conspirator of Mumbai Blast which killed hundreds of innocent Mumbaikars
— 💂 Rishi Bagree 🇮🇳 (@rishibagree) April 8, 2019
@PriyaDutt_INC @INCIndia Indeed along with her Convicted brother of the Mumbai blasts. Way to go, lady. congress after all 👎🏻
— Chowkidar Nyclax (@Nyclax2) April 8, 2019
After enjoying 5 years holiday legendary Priya Dutt is back to file nomination papers from Mumbai Northwest with some prominent convicted criminals to clean politics.
— Atrij Kasera (@AtrijKasera) April 8, 2019
So by that logic both Sunil Dutt and Priya Dutt’s impeccable records should be questioned ?? And Sanjay Dutt has served time as per law of the land (unlike tadipar Shah and butcher Modi)
— PepGuru (@Pepguru) April 8, 2019
You will win dear …ur Father’s goodness reflects in you..and it’s necessity of current time leaders like you r needed…God bless you
— Mosss (@Mosss23700674) April 8, 2019
On Sunday, a statement released by her campaign team on her behalf said, “Wishing you all a happy Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, Cheti Chand, Navreh & Chaitra Navratri. With your blessings I will be filing my nomination from 29-Mumbai North Central Parliamentary Constituency as a Congress-NCP and others alliance Candidate on 8th April.”
“I will be accompanied by MLA Naseem Khan, Ex MLAs Kripashankar Singh, Baba Siddique and my brother Sanjay Dutt,” the statement added.
Earlier, there were rumours of Sanjay Dutt joining politics and contesting elections on a Sawajwadi Party ticket. The actor had later clarified on Twitter that it was only a rumour.
“The rumor about me contesting for the Loksabha elections is not true. I stand with my country and in full support for my sister @PriyaDutt_INC. I urge everyone to come out in maximum numbers and cast their vote for our nation!
The rumor about me contesting for the Loksabha elections is not true. I stand with my country and in full support for my sister @PriyaDutt_INC. I urge everyone to come out in maximum numbers and cast their vote for our nation! 🇮🇳
— Sanjay Dutt (@duttsanjay) March 25, 2019
Sunil Dutt, their father, was also Congress MP who had joined the party in 1984. He was elected to Parliament from the same Mumbai North-West constituency five times in a row.
Priya Dutt will be contesting against late Pramod Mahajan’s daughter Poonam Mahajan (BJP), the head of BJP’s youth wing who defeated her in the 2014 elections by a margin of 1.86 lakh votes.
In January this year, Dutt had declared that she was not going to contest but changed her mind later on Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s insistence.