After Rahul's disqualification, BJP's Kushboo Sundar criticized for old tweet

By Ayushi Goswami

Mar 25, 2023

10:57 am

What's the story

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha due to his conviction in a 2019 defamation case has created problems for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Khushbu Sundar.

Notably, in a 2018 tweet, the actor-turned-politician said that the surname "Modi" should be redefined as "corruption."

The tweet has now gone viral, with several Congress social media accounts sharing it.

Context

Why does this story matter?

On Friday, Gandhi was disqualified as a member of Lok Sabha, a day after he was sentenced to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his comments about PM Narendra Modi's surname.

He was prosecuted for his remark, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?"

The Congress leader is currently out on bail.

Twitter Post

Check out the viral tweet by Sundar in 2018

Yahan #Modi wahan #Modi jahan dekho #Modi..lekin yeh kya?? Har #Modi ke aage #bhrashtachaar surname laga hua hai..toh baat ko no samjho..#Modi mutlab #bhrashtachaar..let's change the meaning of #Modi to corruption..suits better..#Nirav #Lalit #Namo = corruption..👌👌😊😊
— KhushbuSundar (@khushsundar) February 15, 2018

Criticism

Congress asks whether BJP would take action against Sundar

Several Congress members, including MP Digvijaya Singh, shared Sundar's tweet and asked whether the BJP would take action against her.

"Modi ji, will you also get a defamation case filed against [Sundar] by one of your disciples named 'Modi'? Now she is a member of BJP," Singh tweeted.

Notably, Sundar was a member of Congress in 2018 and later joined the BJP in 2020.

Twitter Post

Here's the tweet by Congress MP Singh

मोदी जी @narendramodi क्या आप @khushsundar पर भी मान हानि का मुक़दमा मोदी नाम वाले अपने किसी शिष्य से दायर करवाएँगे? अब तो वे @BJP4India की सदस्य हैं। देखते हैं। धन्यवाद @zoo_bear @INCIndia @RahulGandhi https://t.co/qIibuycY6n
— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) March 25, 2023

More information

Sundar has not commented on her tweet

Sundar, who is also a member of the National Commission for Women (NCW), has neither commented on her old tweet nor deleted it.

Meanwhile, on Gandhi's suspension, Sundar tweeted on Friday, "He [Gandhi] had said a few days back that he is unfortunately a parliamentarian. His words have come true. Moral of the story: think positive. Negativity takes you nowhere!"