Singer Sona Mohapatra has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, saying their efforts helped ensure that Delhi and India did not face a situation similar to that in Paris amid ongoing student protests.
In a post on X on Sunday, Mohapatra acknowledged the ministers’ work in their respective fields, also praising Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia for his work in the Northeast.
“I’ve been meaning to thank @DrSJaishankar @AshwiniVaishnaw for their sterling work in external affairs & the railways, the work in the NE by @JM_Scindia & of course everyone who ensured Delhi/India doesn’t like Paris/France,” she wrote, tagging Modi and Shah as well.
Her remarks came in response to an X user who questioned why she criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi but did not similarly challenge leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The exchange follows a recent controversy over Mohapatra’s criticism of Gandhi, who had spoken about the need to repair democracy in India.
The singer had urged the Congress leader to focus on improving governance in Himachal Pradesh, a state ruled by his party, before making broader calls for democratic reform.
Mohapatra said she was shocked by the condition of the hills and rivers when she returned to Himachal Pradesh after nine years. In her earlier post, she pointed to garbage-strewn hills and polluted rivers and asked Gandhi to make the state a model of governance.
Gandhi had said that the departure of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the BJP-led government would pave the way for restoring democracy, writing: “Gyanesh Kumar will go. This government will go. Then the repair of democracy will begin.”
Mohapatra’s criticism of Gandhi had drawn abusive responses online, and the latest exchange has brought renewed attention to her political commentary.