Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Tripura on Friday to take part in the oath-taking ceremony of Biplab Deb, who was has been sworn as the state’s new chief minister.
Photo: TwitterAmong those attending the ceremony were several BJP stalwarts including LK Advani, Murali Manohar Joshi, BJP President Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Also present on the state was the former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.
Upon Modi’s arrival on the stage, everyone stood to welcome the prime minister. Modi responded to everyone’s greetings individually before having a prolonged conversations with Sarkar, who he had severely attacked during the just-concluded assembly elections.
However, some users were quick to notice how the prime minister had allegedly snubbed Advani, his former mentor, by not responding to his greetings. In the video posted by ANI, Modi is seen walking past Advani without even looking at him even though he was standing next to Sarkar.
This did not go down well with many social media users, who expressed their disgust on the treatment meted out to Advani. User Vikas Singh wrote, “One thing I didn’t liked in the video that elder leader like #AdvaniJi is standing with folded hands, @narendramodi ji shud have turned n shud have greeted him, shows arrogance! Not expected frm a leader like #NaMo (sic)” User Tapas said that he felt sympathetic to Advani after watching the video. User Aarti, also a known AAP supporter, took a dig at Modi and wrote, “Waqt Waqt Ki Baat hai.” She sought to draw the social media users’ attention to a time when Modi travelled with Advani as an assistant by holding his microphone, used to address the public gathering.
Catoonist Kirtish Bhatt asked, “Why does Advani even go (to such functions)?”
Advani, who held the portfolio of India’s deputy prime minister during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, has been pushed into political oblivion by Modi and Shah.
#WATCH Agartala: Former Tripura CM Manik Sarkar and PM Narendra Modi meet at swearing ceremony of Biplab Deb and others pic.twitter.com/89QtBYkeVm
— ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018