A social media post by Minister for Industries, IT, Municipal Administration and Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao, who is also the working president of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), asking Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) “to apologise the nation (Indians) first for spewing and spreading hatred day in, day out” has attracted huge traction many supporting the post and some opposing it.
Tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, KTR took to a social media platform early the day asking the former as to “why should India as a country apologise to the international community for the hate speeches of BJP bigots? It’s BJP that should apologise, not India as a Nation. Your party should first apologise to Indians at home for spewing and spreading hatred day in, day out”.
The post was in response to the Qatar government asking the Government of India to apologise for the statements and hate speeches being made by the BJP leaders. Several social media users who responded to the KTR’s post questioned why should the country apologise for the mistake committed by a party. “If it’s a Gulf country today, tomorrow it may be Australia or the US. What would be the position of Indians settled there and migrated for better employment opportunities if one country after another points finger at India”, they sought to know.
However, one netizen differed and said in his response to the KTR’s post: “I challenge you to show me any statement where India as a nation apologised. Even BJP didn’t apologise, they condemned and took action. On other hand, concentrate on law and order situation deteriorating in our State (Telangana) and apologise to women and girls of our State”.
Echoing a similar view, another netizen responded with contempt: “Can we focus on this (on the incident of rape of a minor) now please? If your house is not in order why do you bother about your neighbour’s”. Another netizen rebutted KTR’s view asking him “what were your thoughts when Owaisi asked for 15 minutes permission to encroach Hindus and Nupur Sharma of BJP recited the verses from holy Quran”.
In another post made half-an-hour later, KTR observed: “Modi Ji, your silence was deafening and shocking when BJP MP Pragya Singh hailed the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Let me remind you sir, what you permit is what you promote. The tacit support from top is what emboldened the bigotry and hatred that will cause irreparable loss to India”.
