Congress leader Divya Spandana's tweet targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provoked a huge backlash on social media and condemnation, not just from the BJP but also within her party.
A furious BJP said the "values of the Congress are dropping" and targeted Rahul Gandhi. And Congress sources said the party did not approve of the language used by Divya Spandana against PM Modi.
Divya Spandana, an actor-politician, had taken a dig at a photo of the Prime Minister standing by the giant statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel that he inaugurated in Gujarat on Wednesday.
Is that bird dropping? pic.twitter.com/63xPuvfvW3
- Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) November 1, 2018
The BJP tweeted in response:
Ummm no, it is the values of the Congress that are dropping.
- BJP (@BJP4India) November 1, 2018
Historical disdain for Sardar Patel + Pathological dislike for @narendramodi = Such language.
Clearly, @RahulGandhi's politics of 'love'! https://t.co/1TPCY7Fs4d
Unfazed by her party's disapproval, Divya Spandana defiantly tweeted: "My views are mine. I don't give two hoots about yours."
When you're done huffing & puffing take a breath & hold a mirror to yourselves. My views are mine. I don't give two hoots about yours. I'm not going to clarify what I meant and what I didn't cos you don't deserve one.
- Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) November 1, 2018
This is the second time in a month that Divya Spandana has been in the news in controversial circumstances.
Last month, her social media designation vanished from her Twitter bio, which fuelled buzz that she was upset with her party after her role was downsized.
The bio, which describes her as "Actor, Former Member of Parliament, currently handling Social Media & Digital Communications for the Congress party" is back.
The 36-year-old, also popular as "Ramya", had also skipped some important party events, reinforcing speculation that all was not well.
Congress sources had then said the party president was not happy with Divya Spandana's tweets targeting PM Modi. One tweet using the word "chor (thief)" for the Prime Minister landed her in trouble, with the police in UP filing a sedition case against her. The tweet had a photoshopped image of PM Modi painting the word 'chor' (Hindi for thief) on the forehead of his wax statue.
Last year, Divya Spandana took charge of Congress's spiritless social boards and ramped up the Twitter presence of not just the party but its chief Rahul Gandhi, who was struggling to match up to a Twitter-savvy PM Modi.
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