New Delhi: A new day brings with it new twists and turns in Rajasthan’s political crisis. Now that Congress leader Sachin Pilot has made it abundantly clear that he is not joining the BJP, the question on everyone’s mind is — what’s next in the Pilot-Gehlot saga?
While BJP keeps mum on the topic, Congress leaders went all out with lessons, wisdom, anecdotes and advice.
If one goes by All India Congress Committee General Secretary Avinash Pande’s tweet, Congress’ doors and arms are open for Pilot.
पायलट के लिए पार्टी के दरवाजे बंद नहीं हुए हैं, भगवान उनको सद्बुद्धि दे और उन्हें उनकी गलती समझ आए । मेरी प्रार्थना है भाजपा के मायावी जाल से वो बाहर निकल आए । https://t.co/rGnbK5qR5S
— Avinash Pande (@avinashpandeinc) July 15, 2020
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also holds onto hope for a reconciliation.
. Not formally. I certainly hope that reconciliation is still possible. The events of the last few days led me to draw an obvious inference. If he returns to the fold & works for a revived &reformed @incIndia, he would be more than welcome.
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 14, 2020
Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid adds a bit of philosophy to the issue.
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Interesting that many of our colleagues have become ‘leaders’ because of generous support of top leadership and demand more support because of being ‘leaders’. Trust and allegiance cannot be conditional. It is there or it is not.
— Salman Khurshid (@salman7khurshid) July 15, 2020
Assam Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi agrees with his father, even if former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi accused him of being impatient. Now that’s respect.
You can’t touch the highs without facing the lows. Overcoming adversity is an essential part of being a Congress person. I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments expressed in this interview by my father Shri @tarun_gogoi. https://t.co/uUJi8FepqH
— Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) July 15, 2020
And looks like parental wisdom is a common theme here — Congress’ Mohan Kumaramangalam recalls his mother’s lesson.
My father left the Congress party to join vajpayee in 97. He felt sidelined by PVN. I was 19, home on break without a care in the world when I remember overhearing my mother say to him in hindi "ranga पार्टी हमारी मां है और कोई भी अपनी मां को नहीं छोड़ता है" That stuck with me.
— Mohan Kumaramangalam மோகன் குமாரமங்கலம் (@MKumaramangalam) July 14, 2020
Meanwhile, former Rajya Sabha MP Pavan Verma has an old Hindi adage for Rahul Gandhi.
Jyotiraditya gone. Sachin gone. Two of the most talented in the Congress. Vinaash kaale vipreet buddhi. Rahul Gandhi can ask someone to translate this for him.
— Pavan K. Varma (@PavanK_Varma) July 14, 2020
And Sanjay Jha, who was recently suspended from the Congress, is coping by changing his Twitter bio and responding to memes about himself.
I had apple for breakfast. https://t.co/vKo0XLzaJv
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) July 15, 2020
Neither did I . https://t.co/cDyFE25t0a
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) July 15, 2020
To end the Rajasthan saga on a ‘high’ note: It seems like Indian dailies had their headlines ready even before the ‘pilot’ could take off..
Everybody’s missing air travel. pic.twitter.com/aq65feCFFw
— churumuri (@churumuri) July 15, 2020
Moving on from the Congress, BJPs Mahila Morcha social media incharge Priti Gandhi had a lot to say about comedians making fun of Hinduism.
Its become a trend to publicly mock anything Hindu.
Unlike other religions, Hindus are very tolerant. But if you stretch a rubberband beyond a limit, it will snap. Glad that some unfunny comedians are being questioned. They need to be made accountable.#HinduphobicComedyIndustry— Priti Gandhi – प्रीति गांधी (@MrsGandhi) July 14, 2020
Author Ravi Rai concurs.
Their problem is, they haven't lived in a country with 'blasphemy' laws. They haven't realised over so many years, calling themselves minorities and relishing it, they have been criticizing, questioning, making fun of a majoritarian religion. Yet they cry for freedom of speech
— Ravi Rai (@Raviravirai) July 15, 2020
From one BJP social media incharge to another — BJP IT head Amit Malviya has some advice for West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
As Covid crisis in Bengal takes a turn for the worse, with new cases rising exponentially and hospitals running out of beds, it is time Mamata Banerjee foregoes her ego and works with Modi Govt for the sake of people in WB!
Modi-Shah just saved Kejriwal from a similar collapse. pic.twitter.com/LwIGCEr0QL
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 15, 2020
Journalist Faye D’Souza apologised for her tweet on former bishop and rape accused Francis Mulakkal. She had retweeted the news of Mulakkal testing positive for Covid-19 with the caption ‘karma’.
I apologise for this reaction. It was insensitive. I'm going through a personal loss, I reacted from a bad place. I don't wish covid19 on anyone.
I hope Mulakkal recovers completely so he can face the full extent of the law in the rape case that he has been chargesheeted in https://t.co/gka40ByHHx
— Faye DSouza (@fayedsouza) July 14, 2020
And finally, here’s Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi batting for students, yet again.
Harvard&MIT stood up for their international students&sued the govt for the ICE rules. The govt was forced to revoke the order.
Hope UGC will stand up for the final year students being compulsorily asked to appear for exams while India’s COVID cases reach close to a million. https://t.co/RAhaqrw5ai— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) July 15, 2020
With inputs from Shubhangi Misra
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