Why Chitra Tripathi and Yogendra Yadav fighting on Twitter?

In the midst of a heated exchange between prominent figures, Yogendra Yadav, co-founder of Swaraj India, was caught up in a social media altercation with Chitra Tripathi, a presenter for Aaj Tak.

During the 'Dangal' talk show on 'Aaj Tak' on May 18, a discussion took place on the voting patterns of different castes for the BJP and Congress in the Karnataka assembly elections. Chitra Tripathi, in an attempt to highlight the historical context, shared statistics on Brahmin representation as Chief Ministers in India's first post-independence assembly elections.

He noted that out of 22 states, 13 had Brahmin chief ministers. Chitra Tripathi also mentioned the use of the OBC card by the Congress in Karnataka, despite having Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister. Furthermore, he questioned Yogendra Yadav on Rahul Gandhi's stance on the caste census issue.

In response, Yogendra Yadav acknowledged the fact that in the first assembly elections, Brahmins held the position of Chief Minister in 12 states. However, during the televised debate, Chitra Tripathi clarified that he was simply presenting the numbers to illustrate the impact and influence of different communities. He stressed that it was not a crime to discuss that historical context.

Chitra Tripathi and Yogendra Yadav fighting

In the midst of a heated exchange between prominent figures, Yogendra Yadav, co-founder of Swaraj India, was caught up in a social media altercation with Chitra Tripathi, a presenter for Aaj Tak. It all started when Yogendra Yadav expressed his opinion on the lack of caste-based change in Karnataka, stating that there seemed to be no significant change in the caste-related political landscape. His comments caught the attention of Aaj Tak, who interviewed him about it.

After the interview, Yogendra Yadav took to Twitter to ask why Aaj Tak seemed haunted by a bygone era when most chief ministers and a quarter of members of parliament were Brahmins. He wondered if there was a hidden agenda or fascination behind his constant references to the past. These questions gave rise to speculation about Yogendra Yadav's intentions and accusations were leveled against him.

Chitra Tripathi, Aaj Tak's host, responded on Twitter, expressing her understanding of Yogendra Yadav's personal frustration. She described his past endeavours, including his involvement with the Anna movement, disagreements with Arvind Kejriwal, and his association with the Swaraj movement and Rahul Gandhi. Chitra Tripathi criticized Yogendra Yadav for allegedly dividing the society with his ambitious activities, questioning his motives and calling him out for interrupting her during the interview.

Heated Twitter Exchange: Yadav vs. Tripathi

In response, Yogendra Yadav hit back at Chitra Tripathi, accusing her of resorting to insults and abuse. She stated that those who lacked valid arguments often resorted to denunciations and personal attacks. She likened her behavior to what she called "white supremacism" and raised various counter questions and proposals regarding Aaj Tak's coverage of the Karnataka elections.

Yogendra Yadav questioned the push to link the Congress party's victory to backward castes, noting the lack of an abnormal rise in late votes according to exit polls by Aaj Tak and India Today. She criticized Aaj Tak's focus on the historical dominance of Brahmins in positions of power, questioning the need for such announcements. Yogendra Yadav also pointed to the targeted questioning of Congress and BJP spokespersons during the show, stressing the BJP's support for the caste census and OBC despite their reminders.

Despite the back and forth on Twitter, both Yogendra Yadav and Chitra Tripathi recognized the need for further discussion. Yogendra Yadav expressed his willingness to enter into a dialogue on Aaj Tak to address the questions raised. Meanwhile, Chitra Tripathi concluded by stating that she would have the last word and accused Yogendra Yadav of resorting to trolling behaviour.

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