The best responses to Anandiben Patel’s Facebook resignation came in the form of Twitterati humour.
Indian ministers seem to be taking PM Narendra Modi’s Digital India campaign extremely seriously. On Monday, August 1, Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel took to Facebook to announce her resignation. She claimed to do so as she is soon to turn 75 on November 21, saying the BJP’s state wing needed a fresh face ahead of the Assembly elections next year.
“For the last some time there has been a tradition in the party that those who attain the age of 75, voluntarily retires from the post. I will attain the age of 75 in November…It (the rule of 75) is a good thing and it will give a chance to young leaders to come up,” the state’s first woman chief minister, who succeeded Narendra Modi on May 22, 2014, said in the Facebook post.
Though, for many, the decision hasn’t come as much of a surprise with the Gujarat being in a constant state of upheaval – one protest after another – ever since she took over from Modi.
Soon after Patel posted the message on Facebook, social media has been buzzing with the way the whole event played out. Quite unsurprisingly, members from the political fraternity were soon to point out this strange state of affairs, and where else but on social media! Indian National Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha tweeted out saying: “CM of Gujarat resigns on Facebook. Resignation accepted on Facebook ( with a LIKE, I presume). Bizarre marketing of #DigitalIndia. :-)” He later also tweeted: “A CM posts her political intent to quit on Facebook.Anandiben Patel does not know Modi Ji ‘s or Amit Shah’s phone number? #InternalDemocracy”. While Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal managed to spot an AAP factor here too. He tweeted, saying: “Anandiji kas isteefa Gujarat mein ‘AAP’ ki bhrashtachar ke khilaaf ki ladai ki jeet hai”.
Best of Express Premium
But the best responses came in the form of Twitterati humour. Check these out.
Now time for Facebook to incorporate a Resign Button ?? @bainjal
— Ejaz Ahmad (@ahmadejazz) August 1, 2016
Anandiben Patel offers to resign in Facebook post. It’d be so much fun if BJP leadership accepts it by “liking” her post.
— Parth MN (@parthpunter) August 1, 2016
So one thing’s been proven. The fact that Anandiben resigned on Facebook means Gujarat has good internet signal strength. Log in to log out.
— SUHEL SETH (@suhelseth) August 1, 2016
New trend: resign via Facebook. Next – take oath of office via Twitter. Cabinet meeting- whatsapp ?? https://t.co/h6PepeusEJ
— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) August 1, 2016
Gujarat CM Anandiben patel to quit. That student on whom engineering is imposed by parents.
— Vivek (@Vivekizm) August 1, 2016
Anandiben Patel’s resignation is a clear sign that #BJP Is trying to save itself from current hurdles in Gujarat
— Bakash ????? (@BakashShona) August 1, 2016
Anandiben Patel offers to resign in Facebook post. It’d be so much fun if BJP leadership accepts it by “liking” her post.
— Parth MN (@parthpunter) August 1, 2016
Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel resigned on facebook , BJP unfriended her …
— ?? ?? ? (@thebakwaashour) August 1, 2016
All Gujarat BJP supporters after hearing Anandiben Patel resignation news pic.twitter.com/KoWigOp33R
— Dhaval Patel (@dhaval241086) August 1, 2016
Anandiben Patel resigns,
Modi goes back to become CM of Gujarat,
BJP invites Kejriwal to be the PM,
Rahul Gandhi becomes Delhi CM.— Be’Havin! (@WrongDoc) August 1, 2016
Anandiben Patel Offers To Resign As Gujarat Chief Minister On Facebook, the entire BJO is ruing only on social media :P
— QueenBee ? (@vaidehisachin) August 1, 2016
Will wait for someone to snapchat their resignation. Easy to take it back also. https://t.co/NOgPJVXrGe
— Vijay Nair (@vijay_nair) August 1, 2016
Well, this is one turn that BJP probably didn’t expect its Digital India campaign to take.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
