The defence ministry’s public relations officer (PRO) in Jammu deleted the photographs of Indian Army’s iftar party in Jammu and Kashmir tweeted by Army’s official handle, after the tweet came under attack from right-wing journalist and hatemonger Suresh Chavhanke.
“Keeping alive the traditions of secularism, an Iftaar was organised by the Indian Army at Arnora in Doda district,” read a now-deleted tweet by the ministry’s public relations officer in Jammu. The PRO also posted photographs of iftar along with the tweet on 21 April.
The photographs showed the local Muslims interacting with the General Officer Commanding of the Delta Force of the Army’s Rashtriya Rifles and a uniformed person offering namaz with civilians, according to Indian Express.
Hours after PRO’s tweet, Sudarshan News CMD and editor-in-chief, Suresh Chavhanke who was accused of delivering genocidal calls against Muslims in several times, tweeted in Hindi: “Now this disease has spread even in the Indian Army? Sad.”
Chavhanke’s tweet drew widespread support from thousands of right-wing Twitter users.
Lt Col Devender Anand, PRO defence (Jammu), who deleted the tweet, declined to comment on the deletion of the tweet when contacted, Indian Express reported.
Chavhanke is an outspoken supporter of far-right nationalists and was often described by rights groups as a “repeat offender.”
Last year, he and other Hindutva leaders and Hindu monks called on Hindus to arm themselves for “a genocide” against Muslims during a meeting in Delhi.
 in Jammu deleted the photographs of Indian Army’s iftar party in Jammu and Kashmir which was tweeted by Army's official handle, after the tweet came under attack from right-wing journalist and hatemonger Suresh Chavhanke.){kind=link}