The government is reportedly upset with Ram Madhav, the national general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a prominent leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, for questioning, in a tweet, Vice President Hamid Ansari’s absence at a massive Yoga Day event in Delhi on Sunday where Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed asanas along with nearly 36,000 people.

Madhav also accused Rajya Sabha TV – the public service broadcaster run by Parliament’s upper house – of blacking out the Yoga Day event “completely” despite being run on taxpayers money. This allegation too was an attack on Ansari, who is chairperson of the RS and the controlling authority for the channel.

This was contradicted by Gurdeep Singh Sappal, CEO of Rajya Sabha TV. “Baseless rumours. RSTV not just did live telecast of Rajpath event. But also had 3 documentaries, 1 special report today on Yoga”, he tweeted.

The Vice President’s office responded with a statement, reported by the PTI, “Vice President was not sick. He was never invited for the yoga programme,” it said, adding, “the Vice President only attends those programmes in which the Minister concerned invites him as per protocol”. Madhav was quick to delete the tweet and to apologize, as he learnt that Ansari was, apparently, suffering form ‘bad health’ on the day.

The political row is far from over. “I am surprised how the vice president could be excluded – is it because he is Muslim? The government and the PM must answer how a vice president was not invited. It is a serious omission,” said Majid Memon, a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party.

#IStandWithHamidAnsari: Twitter comes out in support of VP after Ram Madhav’s tweets:

This is the second time this year that Vice President Ansari has come under fire from RSS-BJP supporters. On January 26, some of them claimed that he had disrespected the national flag by not saluting it and tweeted a photograph of him standing to attention while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar saluted during the Republic Day march past.

The VP’s office later issued a note clarifying the official protocol on the matter: “As per the protocol, when the national anthem is played, the Principal Dignitary and persons in uniform take the salute. Those in civil dress stand in attention. During the Republic Day Parade, the President of India, as Supreme Commander, takes the salute. As per protocol, the Vice President is required to stand in attention.”

Government sources are upset at the “needless controversy” caused by BJP leader Ram Madhav’s tweets. Sources have asked why a senior BJP leader questioned the Vice President’s absence when he wasn’t invited. Meanwhile, insult to the VP is being largely opposed on social media platforms, with the now viral hashtag, “#IstandWithHamidAnsari”

The anger is quite visible on Twitter and tweeples are not only demanding an apology but Madhav’s resignation as well.