Arvind Kejriwal slammed for ‘endorsing’ controversial tweet on Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s retweet of a music director’s apparent observation about the BJP’s Narendra Modi and the Congress’ Rahul Gandhi has hurtled him into another controversy. A little before 11 last night, Mr Kejriwal retweeted music director Vishal Dadlani, who had said on Twitter, “Stuck between a moron and a murderer….what now, India!?”
Mr Dadlani’s tweet came soon after an interview of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was aired by a private TV channel, and was part of a stream of reviews on Twitter. (Rahul Gandhi accuses Narendra Modi of ‘abetting’ Gujarat riots)It was an apparent reference to Mr Modi, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate and Mr Gandhi, who has not been named his party’s prime ministerial candidate but is largely seen as the man who will get the job if the Congress retains power in the general elections due by May. The music director, a prominent supporter of Mr Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party, has made provocative comments before, but it is the Delhi Chief Minister’s endorsement of the tweet that has raised eyebrows.
The BJP’s Nirmala Sitharamam censured Mr Kejriwal saying, “He has no business to retweet and strike this language on a public domain…he is not doing public discourse any favour.” She warned the Chief Minister that he must be “careful about what he tweets.”
Arvind Kejriwal, after his spectacular electoral debut in the Delhi polls last month and the announcement that his AAP will contest many Lok Sabha seats, has been seen as a possible challenger to the two seasoned politicians. His one month in office, which he marks today, has seen more controversy. The 33-hour protest in the heart of Delhi after two of his ministers were involved in public altercations with policemen and his staunch defence of his law minister Somnath Bharti, who has been accused of vigilantism and of being racial and sexist, have earned Mr Kejriwal criticism. (Read constitution, dharna by Chief Minister not unconstitutional, says Arvind Kejriwal)
