Cricketer Amit Mishra, netizens target Irfan Pathan for Twitter post

New Delhi: Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan came to focus on social media after he posted an open-ended tweet on Twitter on Saturday. His tweet on India's potential as a nation has prodded many, including former Indian cricketer Amit Mishra, irked some more and sparked a debate among netizens, NDTV reported.

Irfan's tweet read, "My country, my beautiful country, has the potential to be the greatest country on earth.BUT…,"

Amit Mishra, however, completed the line by tweeting, "My country, my beautiful country, has the potential to be the greatest country on earth....only if some people realise that our constitution is the first book to be followed."

NDTV reports that neither of them went forward with other exchanges nor explained the contexts of their posts, but social media users took it up in the backdrop of Jahangirpuri violence in Delhi and communal conflicts in other parts of the country. Many came down on Pathan for his statement, while some dared him to complete his statement. Others warned him not to tarnish the goodwill he earned from cricketing through such statements.

After the Jahankirpuri violence on Hanuman Jayanti, the civic body in the city initiated the demolition of properties in the area. Allegations surfaced that the demolition drives had a pattern similar to what was witnessed in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, where a particular community was targeted using bulldozers post communal clashes.

The same was raised in the Supreme Court, and it issued a stoppage on demolition on Wednesday. The court said it had taken a "serious view" of the demolitions for around two hours the same day, breaching its orders.