The Indian flag fluttering in a sea of banners during the US Capitol siege on Thursday sparked much debate - and some amusement - on social media. Reactions ranged from anger and dismay to plain curiosity about the flag-waver.
A sharp exchange between Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and BJP MP Varun Gandhi drew a lot of attention.
It started off with Varun Gandhi's Twitter post in which he, like many others, asked why the Tricolour was even present at Capitol Hill at that moment.
Why is there an Indian flag there??? This is one fight we definitely don't need to participate in... pic.twitter.com/1dP2KtgHvf
— Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) January 7, 2021
Quoting Mr Gandhi's tweet, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram said, "…there are some Indians with the same mentality as the Trumpist mob."
Unfortunately, @varungandhi80, there are some Indians with the same mentality as that Trumpist mob, who enjoy using the flag as a weapon rather than a badge of pride, & denounce all who disagree with them as anti-nationals & traitors. That flag there is a warning to all of us. https://t.co/uJIaDlLklt
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 7, 2021
Within an hour, Mr Gandhi replied saying, "These days, it's become too easy to deride Indians for using our flag to showcase our pride in our country. At the same time, it's also too easy to use the flag for nefarious purposes. Unfortunately, most liberals have flagrantly ignored warnings of its misuse in anti-national protests (eg in JNU) in India as well. It is a symbol of pride for us, and we venerate it without due regard to any 'mentality'."
Soon, the person who had apparently waved the Indian flag at Capitol Hill posted a tweet himself and addressed it to both Mr Tharoor and Mr Gandhi. In the pinned tweet, Vincent Xavier, who had posted Facebook photos and videos of him as part of the mob that swarmed the US Capitol, wrote: "American patriots - Vietnamese, Indian, Korean & Iranian origins, & from so many other nations & races, who believe massive voter fraud has happened joined rally yesterday in solidarity with Trump. Peaceful protestors who were exercising our rights!"
@ShashiTharoor @varungandhi80
— Vincent Xavier (@VincentPXavier) January 8, 2021
American patriots - Vietnamese, Indian, Korean & Iranian origins, & from so many other nations & races, who believe massive voter fraud has happened joined rally yesterday in solidarity with Trump. Peaceful protestors who were exercising our rights! pic.twitter.com/aeTojoVxQh
This morning, a new twist emerged as some claimed on social media that Mr Xavier, a native of Kerala, is a supporter of Shashi Tharoor and also had met with him recently in Washington DC.
Sir, it seems this guy holding ???????? flag during #CapitolHillChaos is known to you????
— Ashish Singh (@AshishSinghNews) January 8, 2021
Your words don't match your actions... https://t.co/VUhiLi8bSY pic.twitter.com/CsR4JpZtcd
Gazab bezzati hai yaar pic.twitter.com/6Jw4yH46Om
— अंकित जैन (@indiantweeter) January 8, 2021
Mr Gandhi then used these posts and photos to question Mr Tharoor.
Dear @ShashiTharoor, now that we know that this lunatic was such a dear friend of yours, one can only hope that you and your colleagues were not the silent ???? behind this mayhem. pic.twitter.com/bedkef7ZLc
— Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) January 8, 2021
Over to Mr Tharoor.
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