NEW DELHI: A smiling photograph of former cop Kiran Bedi flanked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bhartiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah served to jog media memory with young people on the social media in particular searching and re-circulating her tweets against the BJP.

A defiant Bedi said when asked by reporters about the shift that “people evolve.” Even as she declared,“I joined BJP due to the inspirational leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wanted to sacrifice my entire life to social work. But he inspired me to join political life."

Kiran Bedi and active member of the Anti Corruption crusader Anna Hazare led India Against Corruption at one point in time is the undeclared chief ministerial candidate of the BJP. The media has been ‘allowed’ to jump to this conclusion although there has been nothing from the BJP top ranks confirming this. Instead Amit Shah made it clear that a decision will be taken after the elections, and that the party was not going into the Delhi polls with a declared CM candidate.

Within minutes of Bedi’s decision to join the BJP, Twitter was flooded with screenshots of her previous tweets and links which questioned the role of Modi in the 2002 Gujarat carnage.

Controversial actor Kamal R Khan tweeted a screenshot of Kiran Bedi’s tweet which says "One day NaMo will need to respond with clarity about riots massacre. Despite Courts clearing him so far."

In yet another April 10, 2012 tweet Bedi said,“Mr Modi as per SIT may be passing the legal exam but is yet to pass prevailing perception of serious incident which occurred under his watch.”

However, lately she changed her mind and started praising Modi’s vision and his efforts in promoting good governance. In her series of tweets on March 16, 2013, Bedi started with bashing Modi for his silence on 2002 Gujarat carnage but soon shifted in praise of him.

“NaMo sharing correct ideas of National Development! Totally out of box thinking! Which is generating development already in Guj!” read one of her tweets. She was almost exultant in another tweet, “NaMo says we have more Acts than Action! Hearing him at HT Conclave! Don’t miss!”

Tweets on Twitter are now hotly debating her decision to join the BJP. Many describe her as an opportunist.

“Kiran Bedi fought for Janlokpal, now she is joining a party which will never give a strong lokpal” tweeted one Pritha. Another person Brijesh Kalappa tweeted how time changed the place and position for both Kiran Bedi and BJP President Amit Shah.

“Time was When Bedi was DGP Jails and Amit Shah was an under trial in jail today he is her boss” tweeted Brijesh

Not only youths, even political leaders slammed Bedi for joining the BJP. Congress leader Sanjay Jha in a series of tweets claimed that the BJP had used Bedi, godman Ramdev and former Army chief VK Singh to malign the Congress party.

“Kiran Bedi, VK Singh, Baba Ramdev—all manifestations of how the Anna Hazare agitation was a BJP/RSS political conspiracy to malign congress” Jha tweeted.

In another tweet he wrote “U-turn is the genetic disorder in the BJP. Both Smriti Irani and Kiran Bedi publicly asserted the role of Narendra Modi in Gujarat Riots”.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Yogendra Yadav said that BJP is using Kiran Bedi to save themselves from direct defeat.

“Well done BJP! Saved two birds with one #KiranBedi Saved BJP from Satish Upadhyay disaster Saved Modi from direct blame for Delhi defeat” tweeted AAP leader Yogendra Yadav.

However J&K chief Minister Omar Abdullah cautioned Kiran Bedi to check her “twitter History” before making any political move.

“Note for famous people joining politics- before joining check your twitter/FB archive & delete all posts critical of party you are joining”Abdullah tweeted.

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