CHENNAI: Hours after the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur posted the picture of social reformist and Dravidian icon E V Ramasamy, famously known as Thanthai Periyar, in its twitter handle on his memorial day, it was removed from the handle.

While the BJP cadres and his supporters appreciated the response, the Dravidian stocks ridiculed them saying that they still fear him even four decades after his demise.

The official handle of the union ministry posted Periyar's picture on his memorial day, on Saturday, with the hashtag AmritMahotsav.

The tweet reads "Remembering the great freedom fighter and social activist on his death anniversary. A great oratory, Periyar mobilized people from all walks of life to fight against the British."

Minutes after the tweet was posted, members of BJP, persons affiliated to right wing outfits flagged the issue. State president of BJP's social media C T R Nirmal Kumar posted a tweet, stating that "mis-information" was removed from the ministry's twitter handle.

This kept both sides engaged in social media waging a war of words for some time.

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