NEW DELHI: A post by a Twitter user Abhishek Mishra who claimed to be a “Hindutva Thinker’ went viral on micro-blogging site after he cancelled his OLA cab because the driver was a Muslim.
Mishra wrote on Twitter: “Cancelled @Olacabs Booking because Driver was Muslim. I don’t want to give my money to Jihadi People.” He later defended himself writing that it was ‘freedom to choose’.
Cancelled @Olacabs Booking because Driver was Muslim. I don’t want to give my money to Jihadi People. pic.twitter.com/1IIf4LlTZL
— Abhishek Mishra (@Abhishek_Mshra) April 20, 2018
To Justify his move, Mishra further wrote: “People starts attack on me. Can I have no right to choose? If they can run a campaign against Hanuman ji poster on cab, defamed Hindus and Hindus god in Kathua incident then they must be prepared for reply.”
People starts attack on me. Can I have no right to choose ? If they can run a campaign against Hanuman ji poster on cab, defamed Hindus and Hindus god in Kathua incident then they must be prepared for reply. https://t.co/GEWUVRvtwL
— Abhishek Mishra (@Abhishek_Mshra) April 22, 2018
The verified Twitter user in his bio claims to be associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. He is followed by top brass leaders from PM Modi’s Cabinet, including Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Power Minister Piyush Goyal among others.
Many Twitter users including the likes of Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and Delhi Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee condemned Mishra’s tweet.
Shashi Tharoor wrote: “I remember an India where people who thought this way would have been ostracized rather than admired &”followed”. We need to #BringIndiannessBack.”
I remember an India where people who thought this way would have been ostracized rather than admired &”followed”. We need to #BringIndiannessBack. https://t.co/410oU4JVuR
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 22, 2018
A Twitter user said, “Dear @TwitterIndia, have reported this account for spreading hate against a particular community, with no provocation whatsoever, please intiate action asap, moreover the blue tick is being used as a badge of honour for spewing hate, awaiting prompt action.”
The popular app-based taxi service still hasn’t reacted to the controversy.
Incidentally, received praises in 2015, when one user Seelam Veerapa Naidu had asked for a Hindu driver, Ola had tweeted back: “Sorry, we do not discriminate against our drivers on the basis of their religion.”