Sachin, Lata being misled, says Congress as Maharashtra govt launches probe over tweets
Congress parliamentarian Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday alleged that celebrities including cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar were being "misled". The reaction came as many celebrities rallied around the government on social media using hashtags #IndiaTogether and #IndiaAgainstPropaganda following tweets by American pop star Rihanna and climate activist Greta Thunberg backing farmers.
"Celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar being misled. Is our country so weak that a 18-year-old is being considered an enemy for speaking in favour of the protesting farmers," Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said in the Lok Sabha.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has also launched a probe into allegations that some celebrities were pressurised to issue tweets in connection with the ongoing farmers' protest. State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh made the remarks after the Congress, a ruling coalition partner in Maharashtra, sought an investigation into the BJP's alleged connection with tweets of some celebrities and whether the saffron party "arm-twisted" them.
Training guns on the Uddhav-led government, former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the decision to probe Bharat Ratnas was "disgusting" and "highly deplorable".
"Disgusting and highly deplorable. Where is your Marathi Pride now? Where is your Maharashtra Dharma? We will never find such ‘ratnas’ (gems) in entire Nation who order probe against Bharat Ratnas who always stand strong in one voice for our Nation," he wrote on Twitter.
"Has this MVA Govt lost all it’s senses? MVA should feel ashamed while using the word ‘probe’ for Bharat Ratnas. Actually, now it seems necessary to probe the mental state and stability of the ones who made such demand and of people who ordered probe against our Bharat Ratnas, Fadnavis further said.
READ MORE: Why are we slandering Sachin for his right to freedom of expression?
