Ramachandra Guha deletes controversial beef tweet, says was in poor taste

"I have deleted the photo of my lunch in Goa as it was in poor taste. I do wish however to again highlight the absolute hypocrisy of the BJP in the matter of beef, and to reiterate my own belief that humans must have the right to eat, dress, and fall in love as they choose", Guha tweeted.

New Delhi: Two days after posting a controversial photo of himself eating beef in Goa, historian Ramachandra Guha deleted the tweet, saying "it was in poor taste". Guha claimed that after the controversial tweet, he had received threatening calls. He also said that the tweet was aimed at flaying BJP’s “hypocrisy” on beef. "I have deleted the photo of my lunch in Goa as it was in poor taste," he tweeted. "I do wish, however, to again highlight the absolute hypocrisy of the BJP in the matter of beef," he said, adding that humans must have the right to eat, dress and fall in love as they choose. Earlier in the day, Guha had tweeted that he and his wife had received phone calls threatening them. "I have received threatening calls from a man calling himself Sanjay from Delhi. His number is +91-98351-38678. He threatened my wife as well as me. This is for the record," he said in his first tweet. "Putting myself in the centre of the frame was exhibitionist and in poor taste. I could have made the same points in words, as I have done now," he said. He then posted another tweet alleging former official of the Research and Development Wing R K Yadav of threatening him. "This threatening tweet below is from a former official of the Research and Analysis Wing. I would like to place it on record, and will do with every subsequent threat received," Guha said replying to Yadav's post. Yadav had tweeted, "If a Hindu eating beef and publicise it he is stigma on th is religion. One Ramchandra Guha is doing so. He is trying to tease whole of Hindus by this dastardly action of such publicity. Shd be given befitting reply."

I have deleted the photo of my lunch in Goa as it was in poor taste. I do wish however to again highlight the absolute hypocrisy of the BJP in the matter of beef, and to reiterate my own belief that humans must have the right to eat, dress, and fall in love as they choose.

— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) December 9, 2018

This threatening tweet below is from a former official of the Research and Analysis Wing. I would like to place it on record, and will do with every subsequent threat received. https://t.co/MrG7AVL15U

— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) December 9, 2018

I have received threatening calls from a man calling himself Sanjay from Delhi. His number is +91-98351-38678. He threatened my wife as well as me. This is for the record.

— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) December 9, 2018

In the now deleted tweet, he had said that he ate beef in BJP ruled Goa. With more than 2.8K replies and 1.3K retweets, the photograph had the caption, “after a magical morning in Old Goa we had lunch in Panaji, where—since this is a BJP ruled state—I decided to eat beef in celebration”.