From simplicity to history of Raksha Bandhan, times when Sudha Murthy was on the receiving end of online trolling

Rajya Sabha MP and wife of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, Sudha Murthy, on Monday found herself on the receiving end of heavy criticism on social media after posting about the origins of Raksha Bandhan. In a video posted on X, Murthy said: ¡°Raksha Bandhan has a rich history. When Rani Karnavati was in danger, she sent a thread to King Humayun as a symbol of sibling-hood, asking for his help. This is where the tradition of the thread began, and it continues to this day."

Raksha Bandhan has a rich history. When Rani Karnavati was in danger, she sent a thread to King Humayun as a symbol of sibling-hood, asking for his help. This is where the tradition of the thread began and it continues to this day. pic.twitter.com/p98lwCZ6Pp

¡ª Smt. Sudha Murty (@SmtSudhaMurty) August 19, 2024

However, this did not go down well with a large section of social media users, who accused her of distorting history.

Sudha Murthy clarifies on Raksha Bandhan comment

Though Murthy later clarified that the story she shared was one of many tales associated with the festival and not its origin, the controversy refuses to die down.

The story I shared on Raksha Bandhan is just one of many tales associated with the festival and certainly not its origin. As I have said in the video clip, this was already a custom of the land. My intention was to highlight one of the many stories I learnt about when growing up,¡­

¡ª Smt. Sudha Murty (@SmtSudhaMurty) August 19, 2024

Sudha Murthy's simplicity

This is not the first time the 74-year-old has found herself in the middle of a social media storm. Murthy, who until recently was mostly known as the wife of the Infosys co-founder, started making news headlines in recent years for her simplicity. It started with simple anecdotes about her modest appearance, such as when a co-passenger thought she couldn't afford a business-class flight or when a UK immigration officer refused to believe her when she said her son-in-law lived at 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister's official residence.

Also read: Sudha Murthy shares her two cents on gender equality, compares bicycle's two wheels to life

CREDIT: BCCL

But after a point, such claims triggered a meme fest, and many even started questioning if she was just making them up.

When Sudha Murthy touched feet of RW leader

In 2022, a video surfaced online showing Murthy touching the feet of controversial Maharashtra right-wing leader Sambhaji Bhide. An aide of Murthy later clarified that she did not know who Bhide was and that she bowed out of respect for an elder.

Sudha Murthy's spoon comment

In July 2023, Murthy once again found herself in the midst of a controversy after she claimed that as a pure vegetarian, she carries her own food as she is concerned if the same spoon is used for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.

CREDIT: BCCL

Sudha Murthy to decide what students will study

Controversy continued to follow Sudha Murthy when she was nominated by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) as one of the panel members to shape the curriculum and textbooks for classes 3 to 12. Many questioned her credentials to be on the panel.

Also read: Sudha Murthy Gets Nominated To Rajya Sabha On Women's Day

How did she get nominated to Rajya Sabha

A similar controversy erupted earlier this year when she was nominated by the President of India as a Rajya Sabha member, with many wondering what the reason behind her nomination was.

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