New Delhi, Apr 22 (Outlook): In what could be termed as a communal post, Abhishek Mishra, who claims to be a “Hindutva Thinker” associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, sparked a debate after he tweeted saying he cancelled his Ola cab ride just because the driver was a Muslim.
Abhishek Mishra, who has a verified handle, is followed by Narendra Modi Cabinet ministers, including Union defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, on Twitter.
“Cancelled @Olacabs Booking because Driver was Muslim. I don't want to give my money to Jihadi People”, Mishra wrote on the micro-blogging site.
To justify his move, Mishra retweeted the April 20 post on Sunday, saying: "People starts attack on me. Can I have no right to choose ? If they can run a campaign against Hanuman ji poster on cab, defamed Hindus and Hindus god in Kathua incident then they must be prepared for reply (sic)."
Ola Cabs is yet to make a statement on the issue. But in 2015, the popular app-based taxi service received praises from all corners after its solid reply to a user who wanted a Hindu driver.
Seelam Veerapa Naidu, whose Twitter account calls him a physician based in Hyderabad, tweeted to Ola asking for a Hindu driver for his ride. However, Ola tweeted back saying, “Sorry, we do not discriminate against our drivers on the basis of their religion.” It also got a thumbs-up from its rival taxi service, Uber Cabs.