DailyO Hall of Fame: Abhinandan to Jaish to Priyanka Gandhi, what set social media on fire this February
This month also marks Priyanka’s debut on Twitter.
Welcome back, Abhinandan!
As the month draws to a close, what's spreading cheer finally to a grim spectrum of news is the return of IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman.
The pilot was captured by Pakistani authorities as his MIG was shot down in what Islamabad called a “retaliation” to India conducting air-strikes in its airspace. Abhinandan was captured one day after India claimed to have destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) training camps in Balakot in India’s first ever air-strike beyond the LoC. The nation anxiously prayed for the safety and well-being of its warrior hero — and social media finally erupted in happiness at the news that Pakistan would return our Abhinandan to us.
Tragedy — and Outrage...
The Balakot strike was an escalation India resorted to after a suicide bomber attacked a convoy of over 40 CRPF jawans in Pulwama. The attacker was a 20-year-old Kashmiri, owing his allegiance to Masood Azhar’s Jaish-e-Mohammed. Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan sought proof against JeM. The growing conflict between the two neighbouring countries hit bilateral trade. The impact on cricket diplomacy — whether India will play Pakistan in the World Cup at all — is still awaited.
Stop speech-ing!
Veteran Bollywood personality Amol Palekar was interrupted during his speech at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in Mumbai as he was critical of the government. This added to the ongoing discourse of intolerance under the present government. Palekar was criticising the ministry of culture for reportedly scrapping the advisory committee at the Gallery’s Mumbai and Bengaluru centres. But apparently, even this was seen as a tad too much.
Priyanka Gandhi Arrives!
In January, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s entry to official politics was announced. A month later, she attended her first road show as the general secretary of Congress (East UP) in Lucknow amid much fanfare. This month also marked Priyanka’s debut on Twitter.
Saving the Constitution!
The month began with an unprecedented show of Opposition unity when support poured in for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as she announced a sit-in protest against the Centre — why? Well, the CBI desired to interview Kolkata's police chief over certain charges in a chit-fund scam. Suffice to say, Didi didn't like the chit one bit and rallied the Opposition with the cry, Constitution bachao!