Government's Startup India Apologises After Retweeting Trolls

New Delhi: Startup India, the official Twitter handle of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project, has apologised to its over 39,000 followers after what it called "unwarranted and irrelevant retweets" led to a major controversy.

On Tuesday, the handle -  which usually tweets start-up news and retweets Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and other government officials - retweeted hate messages targeting journalists tagged as anti-national and a participant in a TV debate.

Shocked people shared screen screenshots asking who was handling the official Twitter account of a such a high-profile government of India initiative.  
 

Retweets by @startupindia - A Government of India Initiative pic.twitter.com/XbMiSW8ZO2

Joy (@Joydas) 26 July 2016

Politicians from rival parties attacked the BJP-led government. "So this is what @narendramodi ji wants to start in India by @startupindia, A start up of abuses, violence & hate," tweeted Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia of the Aam Aadmi Party.

The Congress' Priyanka Chaturvedi said, "Getting India started on a hate driven agenda? Is @startupindia handle managed by the troll chief of BJP? Shameful."

Some people tweeted Ms Sitharaman whose ministry handles the massive Startup India initiative launched by PM Modi in January this year to encourage entrepreneurship in the country.

Startup India deleted the retweets and apologised on Wednesday. There was no word on how the handle had retweeted trolls.
 

We do not endorse anything outside the startup ecosystem. Apologies to our followers. (2/2)

Startup India (@startupindia) 27 July 2016

We are here to create the world's best startup ecosystem. Unwarranted & irrelevant retweets have been deleted. (1/2)

Startup India (@startupindia) 27 July 2016

On January 16, the Prime Minister launched the Start Up India -  an ambitious program to encourage start-up companies and entrepreneurs.