Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday sparked a row on Twitter after she responded to a tweet by asking for votes for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

It began with a tweet from the president of the All India United Democratic Front, M Badruddin Ajmal, who thanked her for India’s decision to vote against the United States’ Jerusalem move at the United Nations.

Swaraj then replied saying: “Thank you, Ajmal Sahib. Now you vote for us.”

Swaraj’s tweet was met with a strong response from the Assam leader and several other Twitter users.

“Our vote is always for India, Madam,” Ajmal responded. “The day BJP does not differentiate between the majority and minority community, our vote will be for you.”

Here are some other reactions to Swaraj’s tweet:

The Jerusalem vote

India and 127 other members of the 193-strong United Nations General Assembly voted in favour of a resolution, which asked the US to withdraw its decision to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

The overwhelming vote against the US came even after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that voted in favour of the resolution.

Trump’s announcement broke with years of precedent on the sensitive subject and sparked bloody protests in the Israeli-Palestinian region.

Israel considers Jerusalem an indivisible capital and wants all embassies based there. Palestinians want the capital of an independent Palestinian state to be East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 war and annexed.

A majority of countries do not recognise Israel’s claim to the whole of Jerusalem, where several Christian, Muslim and Jewish holy sites are located.

The US had vetoed a draft of this resolution at the UN Security Council earlier this week.

This article was originally published at Scroll.in and has been reproduced here with permission.


Opinion

Editorial

Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...
Terror and politics
Updated 29 Sep, 2026

Terror and politics

There is an urgent need to tone down the rhetoric and tackle terrorism as a collective challenge for both the affected provinces and the federation.
Watching the glaciers
29 Sep, 2026

Watching the glaciers

THE latest signs from Pakistan’s mountains are worrying. Suparco says the number of unfrozen glacial lakes it...
Dangerous agenda
29 Sep, 2026

Dangerous agenda

AS the world remains fixated on the US-Iran conflict, elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel is consolidating its grip...