In his last interview before stepping down as the Vice President of India after 10 years of being in office, Hamid Ansari expressed a “feeling of unease”, especially amongst the Muslims. He even felt that “Idea of India” is now a considerable debate and being challenged frequently, making him uncomfortable.
Coming from someone who held the post of Vice President of world’s largest democracy for 10 years, the comments could not have been ignored.
Twitter users were quick to point it out that Ansari feeling insecure was a bit ‘rich’:
…और डरते डरते राष्ट्रपति/उपराष्ट्रपति तक बन गए! धन्य हो महाराज! ? https://t.co/VLa4zgfrS5
— Rohit Sardana (@sardanarohit) August 10, 2017
10yrs. Enjoyed all pelf and privilege. Distributed patronage to ideological cronies. Now back to favourite past time https://t.co/OjAurehnxm
— Prasanna Viswanathan (@prasannavishy) August 10, 2017
Or did this insecurity was about job security?
ख़ासकर तब से जब पता लगा कि अब उन्हें राष्ट्रपति नहीं बनाया जाएगा। https://t.co/KFWE7lNBII
— ख़बरबाज़ी (@khabarbaazi) August 10, 2017
But Ansari talked not just about himself, but about the Muslim community:
Of course. Look at the Muslims of Kerala, West Bengal, Kashmir for starters. They’re so scared that mere existence of Hindus threatens them. https://t.co/1WPYaKeAq2
— Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) August 10, 2017
And when it’s Twitter, obviously there will be jokes:
Those statements by #HamidAnsari sahab on his last day as VP..what is he trying to do now? trying to get into JNU as student? Age is perfect
— Paresh Rawal fn (@Babu_Bhaiyaa) August 10, 2017
And while jokes are there, can memes be far behind?
Hamid Ansari pic.twitter.com/tN6poJDmJc
— Montana – HMP (@Fucker_hun) August 10, 2017
Meanwhile, someone even pointed out that it is statements like these which create a ‘mahaul’ which make people feel insecure.
Here no Muslims are scared of living in India. When leaders like #HamidAnsari says these statement makes us feel insecure with statement. pic.twitter.com/twyyy0fo9p
— Zubair Alvi (@Alvi_Zubair45) August 10, 2017
While others felt as Vice President, he should have risen above his community.
A real tragedy is that he has reduced himself to a spokesman for his community rather than Vice-President of all of India,#HamidAnsari
— Dr Sandhya A Patel (@sandhyaAkhl) August 10, 2017
But perhaps the best reaction came from someone who is popular on Twitter, but said this off Twitter:
One minute. That is all it takes PM Modi to sum up #HamidAnsari in Rajya Sabha as he retires as VP of India / Chairperson of Rajya Sabha. pic.twitter.com/HfIVaY5FDT
— Akhilesh Mishra (@amishra77) August 10, 2017
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