Kiran Bedi says France's 4-2 World Cup win over Croatia belongs to Puducherry too. The overwhelming response on Twitter can be summed up in two words: Not cool, Madam Lieutenant Governor.
Puducherry, a former French colony, is a small Union territory with districts ensconced in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
"There are other ways to celebrate a French victory than to be so servile," one Twitter user wrote in response to Bedi's tweet. "I'm a born Pondicherrian, I don't feel I've won at all. France won, and it's a game and I love the game. I don't need the crutch of a colonial mindset to enjoy. Please do consider pulling this tweet down."
Other replies were far less measured. (The man in the picture is Emmanuel Macron, France's president, who travelled to Moscow to watch his team win.)
@thekiranbedi your President. pic.twitter.com/zBvWAJjIE6
Arya Gangopadhyay (@AryaGanguly16) July 15, 2018
One senior journalist, the president of the Editors' Guild of India, had this to say.
Small correction, maam.Puducherry was never French Territory. It was always Indian territory, occupied/colonised by the French. Nobody would dare call Goa an erstwhile Portuguese territory. https://t.co/Ivh3RcwzrJ
Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) July 15, 2018
And the Congressman Pawan Khera had a request for the Modi government.
Can we please redesignate the @LGov_Puducherry, @thekiranbedi as Ambassador to "erstwhile territory of France"?@narendramodi, @rajnathsingh & @SushmaSwaraj https://t.co/mz3YQ6yvG8
Pawan Khera (@Pawankhera) July 16, 2018
But Kiran Bedi isn't backing down. Today, she said the people of Puducherry were "proud" of their French heritage.
"I am an Indian living in Puducherry. It is not colonialism, but the tweet was [posted] with intention of joy of sharing [sic]. The people of the Union territory have a sense of strong identification with French history and heritage," she told reporters at the India International Centre in New Delhi.
"There are families [from the] UT who stay in both Puducherry and France, with many holders of French passports...France has been part of developmental work...People in Puducherry were overjoyed with the win of French team."

Kiran Bedi followed up her original tweet with a few more. Here are a couple of of them.
Good #MorningNutrition.
Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) July 16, 2018
We in Puducherry wanted France to win d #WorldCup as d UT of Puducherry has a very memorable historical bond with #France.
Thousands of Puducherrians have maintained close ties with France. France also generously supports Puducherry in several ways @ANI pic.twitter.com/02o8zJ3l4S
When one shares joy it multiplies. #Puducherry is a place of celebrations and shared joy.
Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) July 16, 2018
Its spiritual and nature gifted.
It has inherited its water harvesting infra from the French.
People are grateful to them for the Tanks,Lakes,Ponds, Canals & Channels.We owe a lot to them https://t.co/BnullaTivA
Meanwhile, the debate still rages.
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