Maha Govt to probe pressure on celebs to tweet on farmers' issue

Mumbai: Congress leader Sachin Sawant on Monday informed that Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has given orders to the Intelligence Department to probe the row over tweets by celebrities on the farmers' issue.

He also hit out at the BJP alleging that national heroes were being intimidated by the ruling party.

"The government sprung into action after Rihanna tweeted on the farmers' issue. This was followed by a series of tweets from celebrities. If a person, be it a celebrity, opines on their own, it's fine. But there is scope for suspicion that the BJP is behind this. Similar words like 'amicable' have been used in these tweets," Sawant told ANI.

"Why BJP is keeping mum on why tweets of Akshay Kumar and Saina Nehwal are matching with each other? Why Suniel Shetty tags his tweet to a BJP office bearer? Why BJP is scared of probe?" Sawant tweeted.

Celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar, Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Lata Mangeshkar among several others had tweeted calling for unity in the country after international pop star Rihanna, teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg and others extended their support to farmers protesting at the borders of India's capital against the three agriculture laws.

"National heroes should be provided security if BJP is intimidating them. I spoke to Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and he said it is a serious matter. He has given orders to the Intelligence department to probe into this," the Congress leader said.

He further emphasised that celebrities can and should be allowed to speak up for the country if they want to and added that there should be an investigation to see if the BJP has a role to play in the tweets."

They can speak for the country if they want of their own free will. We want an investigation to see if there is any pressure from the BJP. Was there any arm twisting? These things have happened before," he said. NCP chief Sharad Pawar asked the former Indian skipper to "exercise caution while speaking about other fields".

In a stinging attack, senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis termed the move as "disgusting and highly deplorable" and said the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) should feel ashamed while using the word "probe" for Bharat Ratna awardees.

He also said that it seems necessary to probe the "mental state" of those who demanded the investigation and those who ordered it. "Has this MVA Govt lost all its senses? MVA should feel ashamed while using the word 'probe' for BharatRatnas! Actually, now it seems necessary to probe the mental state & stability of the ones who made such demand & of people who ordered probe against our BharatRatnas!" Fadnavis tweeted.

In an apparent swipe at the Shiv Sena which heads the MVA government, Fadnavis, a former chief minister, asked, "Where is your Marathi Pride now? Where is your Maharashtra Dharma? We will never find such 'ratnas' (gems) in entire Nation who order probe against BharatRatnas who always stand strong in one voice for our Nation!"