The Indian cricket team suffered two back-to-back defeats in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021. This has placed the team under the scanner of criticism and trolling. The Indian skipper, Virat Kohli, especially, has been getting mercilessly trolled on social media for various reasons for the last few days – from Virat extending his support to Mohammad Shami, his ‘Diwali tips’ post on social media to India’s poor run in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021.
Amidst all the toxic trolling and abuses that the India captain has been receiving, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has now come forward to extend his support to the Indian cricket team.
Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi took to his Twitter on Tuesday and extended his support to the Indian skipper Virat Kohli amidst online trolling and threats to him and his family, including his 9-month old daughter.
Rahul Gandhi, in his Tweet, urged the Indian skipper to forgive those trolling him as they are filled with hate. He also asked the ‘captain’ to protect his team. He wrote:
“Dear Virat, These people are filled with hate because nobody gives them any love. Forgive them. Protect the team,”
Here, check out the Tweet:
Dear Virat,
These people are filled with hate because nobody gives them any love. Forgive them.
Protect the team.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 2, 2021
It has to be noted that Rahul Gandhi’s tweet came out moments after Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal issued a notice to Delhi Police over the rape threats to Kohli’s daughter Vamika. Yes, you read that right.
“The way Virat Kohli’s 9-month-old daughter was threatened with rape on Twitter is very shameful. This team has made us proud thousands of times, why this silliness in defeat?” she had said.
“Arrest all those who threatened the 9-month-old girl with rape,” Maliwal added.
#NewsAlert | Delhi Commission for Women takes suo moto cognizance on media reports of threats given to the family of Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli. pic.twitter.com/YV9Mk58XTW
— NDTV (@ndtv) November 2, 2021
Last week, Virat Kohli had made a powerful statement against discrimination done on the basis of religion. Before the game against New Zealand on Sunday, Virat had said:
“Attacking someone over their religion is the most pathetic thing one can do as a human. That is a very sacred and personal thing. People take out their frustration because they have no understanding of what we do,”
He added: “We’re playing on the field, we’re not a bunch of spineless people on social media. This has become a source of entertainment for some people which is very sad. All this drama created on the outside is based on people’s frustrations,”
