A major row erupted after the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports invited author Devdutt Pattnaik as a speaker for a two-day event National Youth Festival that is being inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pattnaik is scheduled to speak on the first day of the event.
In Twitter, it is a trending topic, with many openly criticising the government and minister Anurag Thakur for choosing him to “inspire youth”. In a tweet journalist Swati Goel Sharma asked, “What kind of message is Department of Sports MYAS sending to women by including Devdutt Pattnaikas a speaker in its ‘National Youth Festival’ event? Abuse women and be hailed as an inspiration for youth?”
https://twitter.com/devduttmyth/status/1480904759951257602?s=21
Pattnaik has been a controversial figure. His vile and ribald tweets and below-the-belt comments at critics have been in spotlight for long. He is considered an anti-Hindu for his books try to manipulate Hindu mythology to suit the agenda of anti-Hindu propagandists, say his critics.
What kind of message is @IndiaSports sending to women by including Devdutt Pattnaik as a speaker in its 'National Youth Festival' event? Abuse women and be hailed as an inspiration for youth? @ianuragthakur pic.twitter.com/7VEt5NL00a
— Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) January 12, 2022
Unfazed by the criticism, Pattnaik, in a tweet, invited his supporters to join the event. “Do join…. will be sharing leadership lessons from Bhagavad Gita… Vedas should be more important than political pettiness as it makes us a better person,” he tweeted.
Netizens have tagged Anurag Thakur, Union Minister, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports, asking how a person like Devdutt, who hurls sexist, misogynist and sexual abuses frequently on social media, can be invited to address the youth of the country in the festival.
The problem with @devduttmyth is not just that he is a mediocre person who completely distorts our scriptures without even basic knowledge of Sanskrit. He is absolute filth who loves abusing people’s mothers. To hail this man as a ‘great mind’ is truly sickening! @ianuragthakur pic.twitter.com/UEXBBSe9gu
— Shefali Vaidya. 🇮🇳 (@ShefVaidya) January 12, 2022
Author and columnist Shefali Vaidya tagged Minister Thakur and said, “The problem with Devdutt Pattnaik is not just that he is a mediocre person who completely distorts our scriptures without even basic knowledge of Sanskrit. He is absolute filth who loves abusing people’s mothers. To hail this man as a ‘great mind’ is truly sickening!”
Discussion about this post