Bengal Congress tweet gaffe on Rajiv birth anniversary

The West Bengal Congress on Saturday faced embarrassment when in its bid to remember late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 72nd birth anniversary, tweeted a controversial remark made by him.

The party subsequently deleted the tweet claiming the Twitter handle was "hacked".

"When a big tree falls, the ground shakes," read the tweet referring to the infamous remarks made by Rajiv Gandhi during the Sikhs riots of 1984 that followed the assassination of his mother and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The tweet was subsequently deleted, but not before many expressed their reservations.

"We all remember Rajiv Gandhi ji beloved former PM of India. But West Bengal Congress shouldn't have posted this one," tweeted Minister of State for Home Affairs and BJP MP Kiren Rijiju, posting a screen shot of the now deleted tweet.

State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed the Twitter handle was hacked in pursuance of a conspiracy.

"I enquired about the tweet and was told that the account was hacked. In today's world hacking has become a usual thing. But I think, this has been done in pursuance of a conspiracy to malign the Congress on Rajiv Gandhi's birth anniversary," said Chowdhury adding that the party was seeking a police action.