Modi sends Naqvi to mollify Ansari after Madhav fiasco
BJP leader Ram Madhav had questioned Vice President’s absence at Yoga Day event on Twitter. Govt deploys two ministers for damage control, cites protocol issues.
A day after BJP leader Ram Madhav’s blooper on Twitter in which he questioned why Vice President Hamid Ansari did not get an invite to the world record-setting Yoga Day event on Sunday, the central government sent Union minister for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to meet him on Monday.
Naqvi told Mumbai Mirror that his visit was informal and he had called on Ansari to sort out some “routine issues”. “We discussed everything, from the forthcoming Parliament session to routine issues,” said Naqvi, who is also in charge of Parliamentary Affairs.
BJP sources said Ram Madhav’s lack of awareness of protocol and his tweet had clearly put the government in an embarrassing situation. With the Congress accusing the ruling party of playing ‘divisive politics’, the government had no choice but to deploy two ministers to clear the Madhav mess on social media.
Apart from Naqvi, AYUSH minister Shripad Naik also clarified on Madhav’s tweet, while apologising Ansari’s absence at the event being questioned.
“When the Prime Minister is chief guest, then inviting the Vice President is not proper. That is protocol. That’s why we did not send the invite to him. The President and Vice President are above the Prime Minister as per order of precedence and we cannot invite them accordingly,” he said.
“Unknowingly something happens, we apologise for that. It should have been avoided. It’s a mistake. He (Madhav) agrees, he apologised. He withdrew his statement,” Naik added. Madhav said, “As far as the tweet is concerned, it was withdrawn and the matter is closed there and ends there.”
The Congress, however, was in no mood to relent. “The Vice President has been targeted on International Yoga Day. While yoga is all inclusive, BJP has showed its divisive politics through such an action. Ram Madhav should apologise,” party spokesperson RPN Singh told reporters.
A day after BJP leader Ram Madhav’s blooper on Twitter in which he questioned why Vice President Hamid Ansari did not get an invite to the world record-setting Yoga Day event on Sunday, the central government sent Union minister for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to meet him on Monday.
Naqvi told Mumbai Mirror that his visit was informal and he had called on Ansari to sort out some “routine issues”. “We discussed everything, from the forthcoming Parliament session to routine issues,” said Naqvi, who is also in charge of Parliamentary Affairs.
As for Madhav’s tweet, Naqvi said, “There were some protocol issues. Everything has been explained and sorted out.”
BJP sources said Ram Madhav’s lack of awareness of protocol and his tweet had clearly put the government in an embarrassing situation. With the Congress accusing the ruling party of playing ‘divisive politics’, the government had no choice but to deploy two ministers to clear the Madhav mess on social media.
Apart from Naqvi, AYUSH minister Shripad Naik also clarified on Madhav’s tweet, while apologising Ansari’s absence at the event being questioned.
“When the Prime Minister is chief guest, then inviting the Vice President is not proper. That is protocol. That’s why we did not send the invite to him. The President and Vice President are above the Prime Minister as per order of precedence and we cannot invite them accordingly,” he said.
“Unknowingly something happens, we apologise for that. It should have been avoided. It’s a mistake. He (Madhav) agrees, he apologised. He withdrew his statement,” Naik added. Madhav said, “As far as the tweet is concerned, it was withdrawn and the matter is closed there and ends there.”
The Congress, however, was in no mood to relent. “The Vice President has been targeted on International Yoga Day. While yoga is all inclusive, BJP has showed its divisive politics through such an action. Ram Madhav should apologise,” party spokesperson RPN Singh told reporters.
