After the incessant social media trolling of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, the next victim was Congress spokesperson, Priyanka Chaturvedi.
Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi now who is being intimidated on social media. Ms Chaturvedi shared on Twitter that on Sunday, a troll, @GirishK1605, threatened to harm her 10-year-old daughter. The tweet is no longer available. The 38-year-old Congress leader, in her tweet, pointed out that the troll account had a picture of Lord Ram and yet “it didn’t stop him from making such disgusting comments”. She has filed a complaint with Mumbai police, who have assured prompt action. “Will take legal recourse,” she said.
Speaking to NDTV, Ms Chaturvedi said that the harassment began after a fake quote on the recent gang-rape of a seven-year-old in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur was attributed to her.
“The quote on Facebook showed that I was supporting the accused. This went viral on various social media platforms,” she told NDTV. To get back at Priyanka’s statement, the troll attacked her daughter and threatened to rape her.
“This is where the discourse has reached. I have got support not just from my own party, but people from different parties have condemned such behaviour. Unfortunately, the party which is in power refuses to acknowledge that these kind of threats have become a regular phenomenon for women with a differing point of view with regards to the government,” she said.
She also accused the ruling party of failing to support their own minister when she was being mercilessly trolled on social media.
Ms Swaraj who gained popularity for helping out people facing difficulties — was trolled for days after her ministry gave clearance for the passport of an inter-faith couple and took action against an official who allegedly harassed them.
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Her husband Swaraj Kaushal gave it back to a troll who had prescribed physical violence against the minister in a tweet. Her supporters, too, condemned the offensive tweet and questioned the foreign ministry’s action in the case.
The Congress and several social media users extended their support to the union minister. Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi complimented her for the grace and dignity with which she had handled the trolls in a tweet.