Virender Sehwag’s one tweet has set off a chain of reactions on social media. As reported here, Sehwag poked fun at the message delivered by Gurmehar Kaur with her placards. Actor Randeep Hooda liked the joke, and was eventually targetted by left liberals on social media. He gave them a fitting answer with his tweets. But it did not stop there. Then came the media editorials and reports, which made a villain out of Hooda. Hooda in his defence wrote a long Facebook post calling out the people who were hounding him.
In the midst of all this, when the attacks on Hooda via social media were going on, controversial journalist Rana Ayyub had attacked Haryana, just because Hooda hailed from the state:
https://twitter.com/RanaAyyub/status/835907355367866368
In response to this crass stereotyping, wrestler Babita Phogat of Dangal fame stepped in to the fight to stop her state Haryana from being denigrated at the hands of compromised journalists:
https://twitter.com/BabitaPhogat/status/836215716365877248
A flabbergasted Rana Ayyub tried to spin the slap and virtue signalled Phogat to support Gurmehar Kaur and her cause:
https://twitter.com/RanaAyyub/status/836221230902620160
But the wrestler showed how she is used to such false moves, and asked how can one stand along with someone who speaks ill about the country:
https://twitter.com/BabitaPhogat/status/836263308382597122
About then, Congress hack Pallavi Ghosh from CNN News 18 tried to attack Phogat too:
https://twitter.com/_pallavighosh/status/836394768997441537
To which pat came the crisp and clear reply from Phogat:
https://twitter.com/BabitaPhogat/status/836399677192949761
Phogat did not face the same insults which Hooda faced probably because many victim cards such as sexism, young age etc do not work on her. Phogat also received support from unexpected quarters when singer and music composer Toshi Sabri applauded Phogat’s strong “slap” on Rana Ayyub’s face:
https://twitter.com/ToshiSabrii/status/836274295722684416
Sabri too reiterated the “country first” stand and also asked who is funding the anti-India sloganeers in India’s colleges:
https://twitter.com/ToshiSabrii/status/836277850252673029
https://twitter.com/ToshiSabrii/status/836283936187744257
Sabri would now do well to be prepared for an onslaught from radical Islamists for taking such a stand, given what happened to Zaira Wasim a few weeks back.