Indian supermodel and fitness freak Milind Soman's admission about his training as a 10-year-old boy in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological organisation connected with Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in his memoir - Made in India, proved to be an unintended invitation to trolls on social media.
Soman recalled his days as a 10-year-old in RSS Shakhas, a volunteer training module, as very different from the present popular assessment of the organisation as one that uses “subversive and community propaganda”.
While a few Twitter users remarked that he longer appears hot to them, others said it was a way of seeking favour from India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, largely seen as close to RSS. A few memes refer to Soman as ‘Sanghi’ – a loyalist of the RSS.
A Twitter user opined, “I was never interested in #milindsoman but when i came to know He was a Sanghi I am inspired by him.”
You vs the guy she told you not to worry about#milindsoman#RSSpic.twitter.com/P9GHOjtch0
Other users saw nothing wrong in Milind taking a soft stance for the RSS and sided with him.
After seeing widespread trolling, Soman took to twitter to respond to it, saying he was being trolled for an “experience he had at the age of 10”.
In the memoir, the 54-year-old actor had recalled his participation in ‘Shakhas’ in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and stated that his father believed in the benefits of training, self-discipline and physical fitness that one received as part of the RSS.