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Swarajya Staff
Feb 28, 2017, 05:55 PM | Updated 05:55 PM IST
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The long-drawn Twitter battle between celebrities and journalists over Gurmehar Kaur’s campaign in the wake of the incident at Delhi University’s Ramjas College last week stretches on.
After cricketer Virender Sehwag and actor Randeep Hooda responded to Mehar’s tweets, Olympian wrestlers sisters Geeta and Babita Phogat and Yogeshwar Dutt also chimed in. They responded to controversial journalist Rana Ayyub, who took a potshot at Hooda and Sehwag by invoking the stereotype of Haryanvis being misogynists.
@RaisinaSeries haryana ke hain na. Doing his bit for emancipation of women
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) February 26, 2017
Babita Phogat, who is from Haryana, tweeted back to Ayyub saying the Phogat sisters were also from Haryana.
Haryana ki hi hain hum Phogat sister bhi. Kya jante h aap haryana k bare me . https://t.co/ZWtl5fnEXJ
— Babita Phogat (@BabitaPhogat) February 27, 2017
On being asked by Ayyub if she would speak out in favour of Mehar, Babita rhetorically asked if it was right to speak in favour of a person who did not speak in favour of their country.
Babita’s sister Geeta also tweeted in response to Ayyub as a “#proudharyanvi”.
मà¥à¤à¥ लà¤à¤¤à¤¾ हॠà¤à¤¤à¤¨à¥ तमाà¤à¥ लà¤à¤¨à¥ à¤à¥ बाद तॠà¤à¤ªà¤à¥ समठमà¥à¤ ठहॠà¤à¤¯à¤¾ हà¥à¤à¤¾ हरियाणा वालॠà¤à¥à¤¯à¤¾ हà¥à¤ð¡#proudharyanvi #proudindian ð®ð³ https://t.co/QfjhbcXN8a
— geeta phogat (@geeta_phogat) February 28, 2017
Dutt, from Haryana, also engaged with Ayyub, calling for anti-nationals to be hanged to death and saying country was paramount.
Jo bhi desh se gadari kre use fansi honi chaie chae koi bhi ho desh se upr kuch nhi #jaihind# https://t.co/jRDI1znCeh
— Yogeshwar Dutt (@DuttYogi) February 28, 2017
As exchanges on this matter continue to grow, one thing’s for sure – Twitter discourse has cheapened quite dramatically in the name of “freedom of speech”.
Read Also: Gurmehar Kaur And The Battles The Right Must Learn To Avoid