After Rajnath and Gadkari, Paswan condemns ‘shameful’ trolling campaign against Sushma Swaraj

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on July 3 strongly condemned the vicious trolling of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj over the issuance of passport to an interfaith couple.

He is the third Union minister to speak out in support of Ms. Swaraj after Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari. “I strongly condemn the shameful trolling campaign against Smt Shushma Swaraj Ji. She is a very senior Parliamentarian and We must respect each other,” the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution tweeted.

Later, at a national executive meet of the party’s farmers’ cell, when asked about the trolling issue, the Lok Janshakti Party leader said the use of such language against Ms. Swaraj was wrong.

Ms. Swaraj had been liking posts of trolls who have been targeting her on the passport controversy, as part of her unique protest. She had also conducted a poll on Twitter on July 1 asking users whether they “approve” of such trolling to which 57% respondents had said they oppose it, while 43% supported the trolls.

Ms. Swaraj has been targeted by the trolls following the transfer of Passport Seva Kendra official in Lucknow, Vikas Mishra, for allegedly humiliating the interfaith couple. Ms. Mishra was transferred from Lucknow to Gorakhpur after the couple alleged that he humiliated them when they went to the office with their passport applications.

Congress has been attacking the BJP for not coming out in support of the External Affairs Minister. On July 2, Mr. Singh said the trolling of Ms. Swaraj was wrong. On July 3, Mr. Gadkari too came out in support of Ms. Swaraj.

When the controversy had broken out, Ms. Swaraj was on an official visit to France, Belgium and Luxembourg. “I was out of India from 17th to 23rd June 2018. I do not know what happened in my absence. However, I am honoured with some tweets. I am sharing them with you. So I have liked them,” she tweeted on June 24.

On July 1, after the twitter poll, she had posted, “In a democracy, difference of opinion is but natural. Pls do criticise but not in foul language. Criticism in decent language is always more effective.”