New Delhi, May 8 (IANS): Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi was the novelty factor in the Lok Sabha battle as she made her debut as a star campaigner of her party. Her actions have been dissected on the social media and news websites. She has been trolled and praised.

The controversy generated by a video of her interaction with children earlier this month in Uttar Pradesh in which anti-Modi slogans were raised was used by sections of rightwing cyber warriors and others on the right side of the political divide to target her.

Priyanka Gandhi later clarified that she had stopped the children from raising objectionable slogans.

The wesbite Opindia carried several reports on the episode. "Go teach abuses to children in Italy: Yogi Adityanath slams Priyanka Gandhi for video where kids abused PM Modi", said one headline.

Some other headlines were "Priyanka Gandhi in trouble over snake video, animal rights activist seeks her immediate arrest for violating wildlife protection rules" and "Cultured families should keep their children away from such a person".

There have been articles concerning Gandhi on rightwing websites.

PGurus had an article in March which was headlined "Priyanka Vadra continues the illegal abuse of Gandhi's name and legacy".

Cross-checked

In an opinion piece for rightlog.in, Akriti Tyagi wrote that Priyanka Gandhi was viewed as the "Brahmastra against PM Modi" and was brought in "during desperate times when Rahul Gandhi had all but removed Congress' presence from the Indian political scenario".

"Unfortunately for the grand old party, instead of reviving the party's fortunes, Priyanka has joined hands with her brother on the path to self-destruction," she said.

Tyagi said that Priyanka Gandhi has been travelling all over UP and speaking to various people in an attempt to woo the public.

"This includes indulging in ad hominem attacks against Smriti Irani, PM Modi, and other BJP leaders. Due to these tactics, her campaign seems to be having a negative effect rather than a positive one," she said.

Tyagi also said that at the last moment, the party grew fearful and decided not to field her from Varanasi.

"Been seen as an alternative to Rahul Gandhi, she was way too important for the party to be fielded from a constituency where chances of her being the second runner-up" were quite high.

"Not only would her political career be over before it began but the party will face major embarrassment, which they already get enough of, through Rahul Gandhi's tactics," she wrote.