A decisive 57% Twitetr users, who took part in External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s Twitter poll, said that they were against abusive tweets that targeted the minister on granting passport to an interfaith couple.
On Sunday, while launching a Twitter poll, Swaraj had asked her followers, “Friends : I have liked some tweets. This is happening for the last few days. Do you approve of such tweets ? Please RT.”
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
More than 1.24 lakh people took part in the poll with 57% expressing their disgust on the tweets that sought to give grief to Swaraj. Worryingly, 43% respondents (over 50,000 people) approved of the abusive tweets with calls for assassination of the minister.
Swaraj then took to Twitter to reinforce her point that there was no place for abuse and intimidation in a civilised society. She wrote, “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.”
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
Meanwhile, she also received plenty of support even from political detractors. In response to Swaraj’s husband, Swaraj Kaushal, who too had faced trolling by BJP supporters, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote, “Sir, pl don’t explain to these people. Everyone knows who is controlling them and from where it is coming. Its politics. But sad part is that politics has become sooooo dirty. (sic)”
Sir, pl don’t explain to these people. Everyone knows who is controlling them and from where it is coming. Its politics. But sad part is that politics has become sooooo dirty.
Our best wishes to ur family https://t.co/qmOZx587VY
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 1, 2018
On Saturday, a BJP troll, Mukesh Gupta, had made a hasty exit from Twitter after the union minister’s husband, Swaraj Kaushal, decided to name and shame him publicly. This was after a Twitter user, Mukesh Gupta, who claimed to be from IIT Delhi, posted abhorring remarks targeting the external affairs minister.
Tagging Swaraj Kaushal, the troll had written “When she (Sushma Swaraj) comes home tonight why don’t you beat her up and teach her not to do Muslim appeasement tell her Muslims will never ever vote for BJP (sic)”
Last week, as many as 30,000 Facebook users had attacked the union minister’s personal page to post negative reviews in order to bring its ratings down. Faced with incessant trolling, Swaraj had removed the ‘reviews’ button from her page.
The BJP’s troll army had then attacked her using calls for assassination and insulting remarks. The religious fanatics within the BJP were not happy that the external affairs minister had helped an interfaith couple, who alleged harassment by a passport officer in Lucknow. Reacting swiftly, the ministry had ordered the transfer of Vikas Mishra, while issuing passports to Tanvi Seth and her Muslim husband Anas Siddiqui.