While hundreds of Jayalalithaa’s supporters prayed for her speedy recovery outside Apollo Hospital and across Tamil Nadu, Barkha Dutt posted this tweet:
Wish #jayalalithaa speedy recovery but in 2016 we should challenge this breathless hysteria. acceptance of Cult & opacity of information.
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) December 5, 2016
In simple words, she belittled the emotions of the supporters of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister by calling it “cult” and “breathless hysteria”. She commented on the “opacity of information” – the Apollo Hospital not giving exact information.
And Barkha’s comment offended many. Some even questioned why she was mum when Sonia Gandhi went abroad for treatment:
@BDUTT this hysteria is Cruel gift of Indian Media.
Anything for Breaking News, even live information to Terrorists during Army Ops
— Atul Modani (@atulmodani) December 5, 2016
@charminegirl @BDUTT I agree with this. She means a great deal to TN & you can’t tell ppl not to care / feel overwhelmed when she’s dying.
— Rekha (@rekha_vardaraj) December 5, 2016
@BDUTT did you ask when sonia ji was unwell or did you any give credit to sushma ji for telling abt her illness. Cult is what u r part of?
— better_truth (@mrAgoyal) December 5, 2016
@BDUTT You are a miserable person with cold blooded ego and rotten attitude. You are literate but uneducated. #TamilNadu will take you down
— Antony Trackfinder (@yesudasantony) December 5, 2016
@BDUTT Tamilnadu is not your Delhi . Don’t you worry about things here . We love it the way it is ! Now go back to Pakistan !
— Intolerant Chenda (@Dharmareborn) December 5, 2016
@BDUTT and cults didn’t exist before? Or opacity of info? Pick up a history book and check the period 1967-1989. You will get it in spades
— Podaaaanga (@Podaaaanga) December 5, 2016
@BDUTT Your kind your journos will never understand what level of sacrifice make someone so reverential. #jayalalithaa #IndiaPraysForJaya
— S.M (@MissionJourney) December 5, 2016
@BDUTT How about asking medical condition of #SoniaGandhi along with #jj
— CAMaheshkumar Sumbad (@casumbad) December 5, 2016
@BDUTT Yes please tweet the same abt Cult n Opacity when SONIA G goes abroad for UNKNOWN health issues and no one knows a thing abt it.
— Intolerant Logic80 (@logical201280) December 5, 2016
@BDUTT Dint notice this concern from you when @OfficeOfRG was missing for a whole month
— Sandeep Shenoy (@ShenoyTweets) December 5, 2016
@BDUTT Wrong as always. In 2016 we have successfully challenged and exposed blatant Presstitution and we will see to it that journos change!
— Dr Sharma (@AmbarishSharmaO) December 5, 2016
@BDUTT u never these much concern about Sonia health issues ..u just want breaking news that’s y playing with common man sentiments..shame
— k mohan kumar (@mohan2975) December 5, 2016
@BDUTT for the first time I agree with you, but will you say the same about Sonia Gandhi?
— sudha santhanam (@sudha01) December 5, 2016
@BDUTT then first move away from family cult!
— மொக்கராஜா (@xMokka) December 5, 2016
In India, politicians, who do good to the people, always get this kind of treatment from their supporters. And as far as “opacity” is concerned, hardly did anyone had the idea of what treatment did Congress president Sonia Gandhi underwent in the US. And the media never cared to find out what the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi did on his “vacations” abroad.
