Noida DM’s X post against 'Pappu' Rahul: UP govt says it is taking action

The Uttar Pradesh government is taking legal action after a social media post from the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of the Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate referred to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi contemptuously as a “Pappu”.

A statement on district magistrate Manish Verma’s official X handle said some anti-social elements had misused his ID and posted a "wrong comment".

"Taking this seriously, legal action is being taken by registering an FIR immediately and the wrong tweet/comment is being investigated by the cyber cell," an official statement said.

Congress seeks action

A copy of the FIR was later posted on the handle.

The development after the Congress demanded legal taken against the district magistrate.

Earlier, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh called the comment on the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha "inappropriate and unacceptable”.

Politicising bureaucracy

"This is not a new development; over the last 10 years, India's bureaucracy and other non-political officials have become increasingly politicised," Ramesh said on X. “Cases like this are the latest example.”

Ramesh called for immediate action against the officer who, he said, had brazenly violated all rules and norms.

It all started when Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate posted a clip from her conversation with a historian on X: "History is made and cannot be changed. Narendra Modi knows how history will remember him and that is why he is worried."

The offensive comment

In response, a post – later deleted – from the official X handle of the Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate said in Hindi: "You should think about yourself and your Pappu."

Shrinate posted a screenshot of the deleted post and said: "He is DM Noida, he is responsible for the entire district. His language and thoughts about the country's opposition leader Rahul Gandhi must be seen.

Congress offensive

"It is clear that the administrative staff is full of Sanghis – and now they are fanning hatred by sitting on constitutional posts," she added.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said, "Have IAS officers now been ordered to make such political comments under BJP rule?”