NEW DELHI: Former India cricketers Amit Mishra and Irfan Pathan have caused a stir on social media with their twitter exchange hinting at the recent incidents of communal clashes in several parts of the country. Mishra, the 39-year-old spinner, took to his Twitter handle to respond to a post by Pathan who had earlier in the week posted a cryptic tweet following the anti-encroachment drive in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area. The drive saw various properties in the region being demolished which led to massive debates among India’s political fraternity.
Following the events, Pathan, in an open-ended tweet, said, “My country, my beautiful country, has the potential to be the greatest country on earth. BUT………” The post went viral on social media with many people reacting and giving their opinion on what the 2007 T20 World Cup winner meant.
In response, Mishra completed the line that Pathan had left open to interpretation. “My country, my beautiful country, has the potential to be the greatest country on earth…..only if some people realise that our Constitution is the first book to be followed.”
Pathan then responded with a tweet saying, “Always follow this and I urge each citizen of our beautiful country to follow this. Please read and re-read....”, along with the image of the Preamble of the Constitution which describes India as a Socialist Secular Democratic Republic.
The exchange has since caused a major divide on social media, with many slamming and others lauding Mishra for his comment while others siding with Pathan. While neither of them explained the context of their tweets, social media users felt it came in the backdrop of the violence in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri and communal clashes elsewhere in the country.