Guwahati: BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra was lambasted by netizens after he posted a photo where a little boy sat atop his dead grandfather’s body with a distasteful comment “Pulitzer lovers?” The photo is from the cross-firing incident which took place in Kashmir’s Sopore on Wednesday morning.
The politicisation of the photo triggered netizens who trashed Patra for his insensitivity. Politicians, journalists, celebrities and people from all walks of life called him out, yet the BJP leader continued to defend his action.
The BJP spokesperson’s tweet appears to be aimed at Indian Pulitzer prize winning journalists Dar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand – for their feature photography from Kashmir after Government of India abrogated Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, and divided the state into 2 UTs.
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Sagarika Ghose wrote, “Heartless and hateful tweet @sambitswaraj. Intense human suffering and a grieving child, not the moment for nasty politics. Kindly delete”
Sagarika ji
Heartless is to endorse “Jihad” & “Terrorism” without a word.
It takes heart to stand against Pak sponsored terrorism ..
Well those who make a living out of intense human suffering should not counter posture when the picture does not fit into their AGENDA
Namaskar https://t.co/NU9BTKOqyj— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) July 1, 2020
Patra jumped replying, “Sagarika ji
Heartless is to endorse “Jihad” & “Terrorism” without a word. It takes heart to stand against Pak sponsored terrorism ..Well those who make a living out of intense human suffering should not counter posture when the picture does not fit into their AGENDA”
“Agenda?” ‘Jihad” “Pak sponsored” : so many harsh words for a 3 year old grieving over his dead grandfather. There is more to life than political point scoring Patra-Ji. Give politics a break, try some humanity instead,” replied the journalist.
When you posted Rohit Vemula …when you posted George Floyds death to target Modi ..When you posted the picture of the poor dead Syrian Kid on the beach..that was Sensitive?
Why Only when we attack Pak sponsored terror & Jihad does it becomes insensitive?
Such Pak & Jihad lovers https://t.co/MCuxEajuy3— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) July 1, 2020
Musician Vishal Dadlani made an appeal to Twitter to look into the sensitive material openly share by Patra, he wrote, “Can @TwitterIndia and @Twitter take cognisance of the sensitive material in the attached tweet and the hateful reason for this post, and take action against this man?
Also, can all right-thinking people with a sense of decency and empathy, please report his account? Thanks.”
Mr Taseer
this is not glorying the sight ..this is exposing Ur Father’s Country’s Jihad &Terrorism
U should know this better because your own father was not spared by terrorism in his(& yours as well) country
Fight against Terrorism NOT India
Understood?#HumanityOverPakTerror https://t.co/CfJG7gTfVl— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) July 1, 2020
Author Aatish Taseer tweeted: “If a single tweet could capture the utter moral destitution that Modi has wrought in India, this is it. Here is his party spokesman glorying in the sight of a little boy with the body of his dead grandfather, killed in crossfire in Kashmir.”
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta wrote, “This man who is supposed to be a spokesperson for the ruling party but is nothing but a troll and chronic abuser must be reported.” Patra in his defence said, “If I post a pic of an Indian grandfather-grandson who are victims of terrorism & question the Pulitzer gang I am an Abuser??”
Mr Mehta,
Your ilk posts somber pic of the drowned Syrian Boy ..and of brutal chocking of George Floyd &you question PM Modi on alleged atrocities in India
If I post a pic of an Indian grandfather-grandson who are victims of terrorism & question the Pulitzer gang I am an Abuser?? https://t.co/xE5eYfhEBP— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) July 1, 2020
Here are some other reactions:
Madam …this is the time when You should hold a placard close to your heart reading “I am ashamed because of Pak sponsored Jihad in Kashmir”
But you all are selective ..
You’ll never do that .. https://t.co/pRuifNvD4r— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) July 1, 2020
This is not about what the @sambitswaraj ji posted.. it is about their selective view which is properly sitting here with this photo. so they all are outraging one by one to divert the whole issue.. these people are nothing but propaganda machine. #SambitPatra https://t.co/bi1Qaw5d0v
— ｱ尺ﾉｲﾑﾶ 乃ﾉ丂Wﾑ丂 (@Pritambsws) July 1, 2020