What do you get when a Human Resource Development minister and a senior journalist have varying views on the most volatile topic in the country? A Twitter spat!
Union Minister Smriti Irani was going about her day when journalist Barkha Dutt tagged her in a tweet where she was promoting her latest column: A Letter To PM Modi From ‘Anti-National Sickular Presstitute’ Barkha Dutt
Here’s what started the fight:
Minister @smritiirani says JNU insulted Mother India. But what of compassionate, gentler side of Mothers? My column: https://t.co/syfGgmwP99
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) February 22, 2016
Irani took offence and shot a flustered reply:
@BDUTT Madam find me 1 quote where I have named JNU else let it be known to the world once again u peddle lies.
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) February 22, 2016
Dutt dug up a newspaper report for proof:
@smritiirani ma’am eg: read this in @dna wasnt your ref to JNU students charged with sedition. All papers said so ? https://t.co/VJbvbOKd9m
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) February 22, 2016
… and, another:
@smritiirani and here is Business standard saying the same on your comment on JNU issue https://t.co/tjmXsQCvMU
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) February 22, 2016
… and, another:
@smritiirani and here is Business standard saying the same on your comment on JNU issue https://t.co/tjmXsQCvMU
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) February 22, 2016
Someone else butted in with the quote in question:
@naqshband @smritiirani that’s what I read in all newspapers. Have posted link to DNA. Can attach other links too
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) February 22, 2016
But Irani wasn’t buying any of that:
@BDUTT Apne jhooth ke liye doosro ka sahara mat lijiye. Maine aaj tak issue pe JNU ke naam se newspaper aur TV channel ko quote nahi diya.
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) February 23, 2016
That’s when Dutt took a direct swing:
@smritiirani so ma’am are you accusing almost the entire print media of “jhhooth”? And just curious whom were your comments directed at then
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) February 23, 2016
Irani on the defensive:
@BDUTT u point out to certain journos and their reports to help ur cause but ur claim itself shows a systematic attempt to derail facts.
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) February 23, 2016
And, that’s when Dutt took offence:
@smritiirani no idea why you needlessly personalise. However if I am a “liar” so are BS, DNA& 10 newspapers that wrote this. Agreed?
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) February 23, 2016
Of course, Twitter wasn’t going to let a first-class spat go unnoticed. There on began a debate of whether Irani was commenting on Jawaharlal Nehru University or Yale.
.@BDUTT Plz don’t quote her out of context.All Ma Bharti,Ma Saraswati vandana references were for Yale.https://t.co/LSMpsKy2I2 @smritiirani
— Scotchy (@scotchism) February 23, 2016
.@shilpitewari Lame logic. In a response to Q on JNU she said “bharat maata ka apman ..among other things” @BDUTT @brownbrumby @smritiirani
— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) February 23, 2016