External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who has been facing online abuse over the issuance of passport to an inter-faith couple in Lucknow for quite some time now, took to Twitter and posted a poll asking users whether they approved such trolling.
“Friends : I have liked some tweets. This is happening for the last few days. Do you approve of such tweets? Please RT,” she had tweeted.
Surprisingly, only 57 per cent respondents voted saying they opposed it, while a staggering 43 per cent supported the abusive trolling. The poll has received 1,24,305 votes.
Friends : I have liked some tweets. This is happening for the last few days. Do you approve of such tweets ? Please RT
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 30, 2018
After the poll, Swaraj, who has been accused of Muslim appeasement by various Twitter users, posted another tweet urging people not to use foul language, asserting that criticism in decent language was always more effective.
Also Read | Mehbooba Mufti terms trolling of Sushma Swaraj outrageous
“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,” she tweeted.
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.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 1, 2018
The tweet was soon bombarded with comments demanding Swaraj to make her stand clear in connection with the passport controversy. Some of the Twitter users even accused the minister of highlighting the abusive tweets only to play the “victim card”.
Please we want statement on Passport issue why ministry silent why punished vikas mishra
— Modi Fan Army Ⓜ🅾Dℹ (@modifanArmy) July 1, 2018
But @SushmaSwaraj madam tried to play a victim card so she wantedly showed the negative criticism for sympathy and vote politics more than the valid criticism
— Dhruva💔Natchathiram (@24amPulikesi) July 1, 2018
Agreed. But the way u played a victim by ignoring the genuine questions by the real people of India shocked us. U r accountable & answerable for the hurried decision taken for which u decided to keep mum.Funny!
However,we still await ur take on the matter.https://t.co/USqdLT6qdt— Hema J (@Hema_quotes) July 1, 2018
While many users agreed that abusive language should not have been used, they also urged Sushma Swaraj to come clean in the matter. These users accused Swaraj of selectively highlighting abusive tweets and ignoring the ones that decently asked for her explanation.
Many raised issue in a decent language but you blocked constructive criticism & passed the bat in the opposition’s hand. They are defaming @BJP4India & @narendramodi
They are not going to vote for you or write good things about you.
Some trollers crossed the line, I agree
— Priya Kulkarni (@priyaakulkarni2) July 1, 2018
No sane person is endorsing foul and abusive language on twitter..But you can either ignore or take a strict cyber crime action on them.. Discussing like this being foreign minister dents image of India as well as paints BJP supporters as abusive/hate mongers by media/Opposition
— Siddarth Pai (@siddarthpaim) July 1, 2018
Again I whole heartedly support what you are saying. No one deserves to be abused like u were.That was despicable on their part.
Ma’am,there were many that questioned u without any abuses or disparaging comments.They are all your fans & supporters.They deserve a response.— Dr.Rupa Murthy (@ProudBhagavathi) July 1, 2018
Not only Swaraj, but her husband Swaraj Kaushal was also dragged into the controversy as he was asked on Twitter to “beat up” his wife and teach her not to do Muslim appeasement.
In an emotional response to a troll, Kaushal said on Sunday the Twitter user’s harsh words had caused “unbearable pain” to his family.
Your words have given us unbearable pain. Just to share with you, my mother died of cancer in 1993. Sushma was an MP and a former Education Minister. She lived in the hospital for a year. She refused to engage a medical attendant and attended on my dying mother personally. /1 https://t.co/b4iwIUx0SA
— Governor Swaraj (@governorswaraj) July 1, 2018
Such was her devotion to the family. As per my father’s wish, she lit my father’s pyre. We adore her. Please do not use such words for her. We are first generation in law and politics. We pray for nothing more than her life. Pls convey my profound regards to your wife. /2
— Governor Swaraj (@governorswaraj) July 1, 2018
On Saturday, he had tweeted a screenshot of the post by the Twitter user who asked him to beat her (Sushma Swaraj) up and teach her not to do Muslim appeasement.
Swaraj, who has been retweeting some of the offensive tweets directed at her, is being targeting over the transfer of Passport Seva Kendra official Vikas Mishra in Lucknow for allegedly humiliating the interfaith couple — Mohammad Anas and Tanvi Seth.
Read More | Swaraj Kaushal responds to troll who wanted him to ‘beat up’ Sushma Swaraj
Mishra was transferred from Lucknow to Gorakhpur after the 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.
Mishra had said in his defence he was secular and had told the woman that her ‘nikahnama’ showed her name as Shazia Anas, which should be endorsed in her file.
As the matter gathered massive attention, the passports were issued to the couple within a day.
A section of social media had attacked Swaraj and the ministry for taking action against Mishra, claiming that he was just doing his duty.
Incidentally, no one from the BJP has till now come out in support of Sushma criticising the trolls.