The Poonawala brothers of the Congress party aren’t known to be extremely bright. We reported earlier how they are not related to the billionaire businessman, Cyrus Poonawala. We also reported on how Tehseen, the older Poonawala brother deleted offensive tweets about Smriti Irani after being called out and how Shehzad defended his brother with ridiculous arguments.
As has become their habit, Shehzad, who is not related to the more reputed and Pune billionaire, Cyrus Poonawala, has seemed to make another gaffe.
Today, in a bid to prove how he rose through the Congress ranks on merit and not because of the brothers’ association with Robert Vadra, Shehzad plugged some old appreciation letters from fellow congressmen.
Folks assume I have got things on a platter in @INCIndia because of my brother’s marriage in 2016!Nothing sickens me more-proof of my dedication to INC cause since 2008 onwards incl a letter by Manish Tewari praising my (free) voluntary services to @INCIndiapic.twitter.com/pqZjHbXkyt
— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) November 18, 2017
The letter that came under fire was this one by Congress leader Rohit Tilak who was in 2008 the President of Maharashtra NSUI.
Users pointed out that Shehzad was sharing an appreciation letter by a now rape accused.
Only a genuinely dimwit person like @Shehzad_Ind would flaunt an appreciation letter from Rohit Tilak, who himself is currently out on bail in a rape case. https://t.co/g74nGXzyJy
— Anurag Dixit (@bhootnath) November 18, 2017
Tweet exchanges followed :
There were no charges on him back then & he was the then state president of Maharashtra @nsui Who else could have given me a testimonial for my student work back then? Narendra Modi? I knew in 2009 he would be charged later in 2017? Talk logically.. https://t.co/5epWtWZGJq
— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) November 18, 2017
Don’t keep on exposing yourself Shehzad. You shared the appreciation now, after he was charged and arrested, and not in 2008. It’s common sense and expected from a public personality on national stage. Is it too much to ask? https://t.co/klhpePe0TY
— Anurag Dixit (@bhootnath) November 18, 2017
While Shehzad was right in saying that the letter was from 2008 and Tilak got accused of rape only in 2017, given the seriousness of the charges against Rohit Tilak, one wonders if someone in the public sphere should be flaunting appreciation letters issued by him even way back in 2008.
The great-grandson of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Rohit Tilak was booked for rape and “unnatural sex” in July 2017. In August 2017, the complainant had tweeted to PM Modi and said political influence was saving Tilak from getting arrested. The complainant had also complained of getting ‘acid attack’ threats. Currently, Rohit Tilak is out on bail.
It begs the question : Do political figures have a greater responsibility and is it okay for them to flaunt letters by their party leaders who are now accused of grave crimes?
