Mangaluru: Postcard News founder Mahesh Vikram Hegde was allegedly confronted by three women and asked to sing “Vande Mataram” at the Mangaluru airport on Friday, January 31.
Social worker Kavita Reddy, Amulya Leona and Najma Nazeer caught up with Hedge at the airport and asked him to sing the national song to prove his ‘Indian-ness’. It can be recalled that Hegde has been arrested twice for allegedly spreading fake news through his website Postcard News.
“Please, please. We want you to sing for the country, let’s sing Vande Mataram,” said one woman between Reddy and Leona, as Nazeer sat to Hegde’s right in the airport, wearing a burqa and red scarf.
“Vikram, this is cinema opportunity. The best opportunity since you publish (fake news) on Postcard ,” said the woman, continuing in Kannada.
The girls promised Hedge that they will join in singing Vande Mataram with him.
As Hedge sat uncomfortably and refused to sing, the girl started pleading him to “please” sing the national anthem.
“Do you remember what time Godse killed Gandhi? Do you remember? Come on sing Vikram. You have been torturing us on Facebook all the while now,” said the lady referring to his posts.
Hegde did not utter a word but was uncomfortable with the girls asking him to sing, moving as he sat.
Three women confronted one of the most infamous Fake News peddler and RW social media propagandist Mahesh Vikram Hegde. They asked him to sing Vande Mataram and he….pic.twitter.com/FmPLEXftl8
— Ravi Nair (@t_d_h_nair) January 31, 2020
Akash Banerjee, a satirist, tweeted, “After Amish, Sudhir, Deepak it’s the turn of Arnab of the South and star fake news peddler Mahesh Hedge of Post Card to face humiliation. Too ashamed to sing Vande Mataram?”
Banerjee said he was proud of Reddy, Leona and Nazeer.
Speaking to ThePrint, Reddy said that they decided to ask Hegde to sing Vande Mataram as he always asks Muslims to sing it, if they are Indians.
Meanwhile, Mangaluru police commissioner P.S. Harsha has no idea of the event that allegedly occurred in the airport.
It may be recalled that Republic TV editor-in-chief and founder Arnab Goswami was also similarly confronted by comedian Kunal Kamra on an IndiGo flight recently.
(with inputs from IANS)
