E-Paper
Cong social media head quits Twitter after row over tweet
Spandana, who did not respond to repeated calls, texts and email from HT seeking her views, had praised Nirmala Sitharaman after she took over as the new finance minister on Friday.
Congress’s social and digital communications department head, Divya Spandana, deleted her Twitter account on Sunday and triggered speculation that she may have resigned from her post.
Spandana, who did not respond to repeated calls, texts and email from HT seeking her views, had praised Nirmala Sitharaman after she took over as the new finance minister on Friday. “Congratulations @nsitharaman on taking charge of a portfolio that was only last held by another woman, Indira Gandhi ji in 1970-makes us women folk proud! The GDP not looking great, I’m sure you will do your best to revive the economy. You have our support. Best wishes,” she tweeted.
Spandana was asked to explain the tweet after she which she deleted her account, a Congress functionary said. The 32-year-old former Parliament member from Mandya took over the department from Deepender Hooda.
It was under her watch that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s follower count on Twitter multiplied. However, when Nikhil Alva was brought in as the communications person for the Congress President, insiders say it led to some friction.
One member of the team told HT that Spandana had to attend to some medical treatment while another said that her Twitter account deletion was part of a “digital detox”.
Another Congress functionary familiar with the developments said she had resigned from her post in the middle of the Lok Sabha elections due to differences with some party leaders over the functioning of the department. However, the leader said her resignation has not been accepted yet. She is also yet to exit from an internal group.
