India
Rahul Gandhi shared a dog video and was promptly reminded of his Assam faux-pas.
Updated : Oct 29, 2017, 08:20 PM IST
On Sunday, the brave new Rahul Gandhi of Twitter shared a video of his dog Pidi with a cutesy caption seeking to answer who ‘tweets for Rahul Gandhi’. Putting a video of his dog Pidi, the Congress scion wrote: “Ppl been asking who tweets for this guy..I'm coming clean..it's me..Pidi..I'm way <sunglasses smiley> than him. Look what I can do with a tweet..oops..treat!”
While a lot of awwws came his way, former Congressman and one of BJP's star performers from North-East, Himanta Biswa Sarma hit back on Twitter, reminding Rahul Gandhi that he had once preferred to play with the dog instead of listening to his own cadre.
He wrote: “Sir @OfficeOfRG,who knows him better than me. Still remember you busy feeding biscuits 2 him while We wanted to discuss urgent Assam's issues.”
Ppl been asking who tweets for this guy..I'm coming clean..it's me..Pidi..I'm way than him. Look what I can do with a tweet..oops..treat! pic.twitter.com/fkQwye94a5
— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) October 29, 2017
Sir @OfficeOfRG,who knows him better than me.Still remember you busy feeding biscuits 2 him while We wanted to discuss urgent Assam's issues https://t.co/Eiu7VsuvL1
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) October 29, 2017
Legend has it that former Congress leader Himanta Biswa Sarma had gone to meet Rahul Gandhi to discuss Assam’s problems but the Congress VP was busy playing with his canine friend. Disillusioned Biswa Sarma left and joined BJP who has helped the party come to power in Assam and helped manoeuvre alliances in Manipur to form the government.
After the incident, a furious Sarma had told former Assam CM Gogoi: “Rahul turned and started playing with dog instead of listening to us. After I came out, I told Gogoi that it would be impossible for me to continue in the Congress.”
Biswa Sarma would go on to describe Rahul as ‘arrogant’ and someone who preferred a ‘servant-master’ relationship.
In fact, Congress’ Gaurav Pandhi had once ever had the temerity to compare Sarma to the dog: “@bainjal you have to meet Rahul Gandhi's dog, so cute, anyone would prefer playing with him than listening to @himantabiswa. :) @INCIndia.”
The reaction of Congress members even now wasn't very becoming
— Sushmita Dev (@sushmitadevmp) October 29, 2017
We also know you better now. https://t.co/o1HkJJpRBf
Sarmaji, a dog always teaches loyalty despite all odds,am sure every time u see Pidi u are reminded of ur own treachery. That’s y the hate? https://t.co/j2iagEENZI
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) October 29, 2017
was it in that very meeting that we got to know who was more loyal? https://t.co/W7sd6le2KR
— Pawan Khera (@Pawankhera) October 29, 2017
What bothers u @himantabiswa ? That he did not feed u dog biscuits? And "urgent Assam issues" your Twitter trolling proves how much u work! https://t.co/rBe60lxKLl
— Tehseen Poonawalla (@tehseenp) October 29, 2017
BJP leaders also got in on the act.
Pidi लाओ, Congress बचाओ.. pic.twitter.com/A677QSIvah
— Amit Malviya (@malviyamit) October 29, 2017
For @OfficeOfRG priorities are clear. Let Assam go to hell, feeding biscuits to Pidi is top priority https://t.co/f9gQIGbiT7
— Vijay Chauthaiwale (@vijai63) October 29, 2017
Sir @OfficeOfRG,who knows him better than me.Still remember you busy feeding biscuits 2 him while We wanted to discuss urgent Assam's issues https://t.co/Eiu7VsuvL1
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) October 29, 2017
For @OfficeOfRG priorities are clear. Let Assam go to hell, feeding biscuits to Pidi is top priority https://t.co/f9gQIGbiT7
— Vijay Chauthaiwale (@vijai63) October 29, 2017
Many Congress(I) leaders also have similar stories but @himantabiswa ji had the spunk to point-out & walk-out https://t.co/oBj3VI1rpY
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) October 29, 2017
Cong(I) CM Pema Khandu waited for 6 days, no appointment! PM @narendramodi ji gave time within 3 hrs! He joined BJP. Why shld Cong blame me? https://t.co/oBj3VHJQyq
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) October 29, 2017
In Congress, it surely looks like the race to being the his master's voice, to hide his goof-ups with snark and political naiveness, even as the master is busy playing with his dog Pidi. It is probably easy to give a makeover to a Twitter handle rather than making a leader accountable for his past mistakes. And it's no surprise that smart politicians like Himanta Biswa Sarma aren't willing to stick around for this second-class treatment.