Pranab Mukherjee's daughter writes to Rahul, demands 'Nyay' against trolling
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New Delhi: Former Congress leader Sharmishtha Mukherjee, daughter of ex-President Pranab Mukherjee, wrote to Rahul Gandhi on Friday, citing "vicious and continuous trolling by your supporters" in response to the release of her new book and comments last week about his ability to lead the party into the Lok Sabha election.
In a two-page statement uploaded on X, Ms Mukherjee said she had been subjected to trolling, "sometimes using the nastiest language" and highlighted one social media user in particular-"Naveen Shahi, having an X handle of @Naveen_Kr_Shahi, who is followed by several senior Congress leaders…"
Shahi, she wrote, "abused my father, Pranab Mukherjee and me in such vile language I feel nausea even to repeat it". She claimed he also made derogatory sexual remarks about her father, NDTV reported.
"Utterly shocked, I brought it to the notice of Jairam Ramesh, Supriya Shrinate, and even you by tagging all of you (on X). However, at the time of writing this letter, I neither got any reaction nor any action seems to have been taken against the person," Ms Mukherjee wrote.
"You are talking about nyay (a reference to Mr Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'). As an ordinary citizen of India, I demand nyay from you as these vile abuses seem to have originated with someone having a formal, or informal, association with your organisation. I demand nyay as a woman, and whose father, has been subject (to) the most vile abuses having sexual connotations."
"To show you are serious about nyay, please take action against this person, Naveen Shahi, (and) all the others who reacted positively to his abuses, against your social media head, and your communication head, for allowing this kind of language and abuse," Ms Mukherjee appealed.
"Show that your promise of nyay is not just an empty election slogan."
Ms Mukherjee made many posts on X throughout the day, including screenshots of remarks from Shahi and others, and tagged Ms Shrinate, the Congress' National Spokesperson.
"Enough of this! Jairam Ramesh sir, does this answer your ques(tion) (to) me... why I'm questioning current 'ideology' or functioning of Congress? Mr Rahul Gandhi - these (are your) followers! Salute to you for dragging down the Grand Old Party of India to this level. Shame!" read one furious post.
"''Muhabbat ki dukandar' ka ek namuna - Congress ki Vichardhara! Only thing Congress is left with is a bunch of illiterate uncouth trolls who get a pat in (the) back from their masters for abusing its own leaders. Supriya Shrinate, (you should) promote (this) guy. He truly reflects (your) culture," Ms Mukherjee said in another, in each case reposting tweets by Shahi that have now been deleted.
"As Rahul Gandhi seems (to be) talking about #Nyay, I demand nyay from him (for) character-assassinating me and my father in his name. Even if this person claims (to be) an 'ordinary supporter', I demand Rahul (should) lodge a police complain against this person as it is being done in his name."
So far, neither the Congress, Rahul Gandhi, nor the two other leaders tagged by Ms Mukherjee have responded. The account she referenced was created in 2013. At the time of writing, neither Mr Gandhi, Mr Ramesh, Ms Shrinate, nor any Congress account was listed as a 'follower'.
Ms Mukherjee opened her letter by stating that she had spoken earlier this month about the Congress' chances in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. She said her old party had suffered "disastrous loss(es) in (the past two) Lok Sabha elections" while speaking at the Jaipur Literature Festival.
"Since then, all hell has broken loose because, in your followers' mind, you and your family are synonymous with the Congress, without realising the Congress was, and is, far greater than any individual or family," Ms Mukherjee said in her letter.
