First a Twitter lament, then hearty praise: Anand Sharma on Pranab at RSS

Last night, Anand Sharma sounded rather upset as Pranab Mukherjee prepared to speak to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) cadres in Nagpur.

But now, the former president's oratorical homage to pluralism appears to have filled the Rajya Sabha MP with delight.

"Pranam Pranab da, you have emerged proud and taller from Nagpur," Sharma, a senior Congressman, wrote on Twitter. "There was never any doubt about your strength of character, moral courage, conviction and commitment to uphold the secular constitutional democracy."

Anand Sharma, a former trade minister, and a senior Indian National Congress leader. (File photo: Reuters)

Mukherjee -- who served the Congress party for decades before becoming president in 2012 -- told the Sangh about "the richness and diversity of Indias pluralism," Sharma said.

"Hope they will reflect and absorb your message," he concluded.

FULL TEXT | Pranab Mukherjee's speech to RSS cadres in Nagpur

But just a mouse-scroll below, there are other observations, their tone rather more sombre.

"The images of Pranab da, veteran leader and ideologue, at [the] RSS headquarters have anguished millions of Congress workers, and all those who believed in pluralism, diversity and the foundational values of the Indian republic," Sharma tweeted before Mukherjee began his speech.

"Dialogue can only be with those who are willing to listen, absorb and change. There is nothing to suggest that [the] RSS has moved away from his core agenda as it seeks legitimacy."

The Twitter page of Mukherjee's daughter, the Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee, also wears a before-after look -- but here, the tone changed not from despair to delight, but from caution to vindication.

Pranab Mukherjee with his daughter Sharmistha in February 2014. (Photo: Reuters)

Yesterday, she warned her father that his speech would be forgotten, but the visuals would be used to create fake news.

And late last night, she pointed to a photograph of Mukherjee standing beside RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. The image showed him wearing a black cap and performing an RSS-style salute, just like Bhagwat.

It was fake.

"See, this is exactly what I was fearing and warned my father about. Not even few hours have passed, but [the] BJP/RSS dirty tricks dep[ar]t[ment] is at work in full swing!" Sharmistha tweeted.

WATCH | Pranab Mukherjee's full speech at RSS event