Author-columnist and acerbic social commentator Shobhaa De raised a storm about a ‘satirical’ tweet calling for Mumbai to be accorded statehood after the Telengana issue. She had tweeted, “Maharashtra and Mumbai??? Why not? Mumbai has always fancied itself as an independent entity, anyway. This game has countless possibilities.”u00a0

Even though De later said it was satirical and not to be taken seriously, politicians -- many of whom know that what De says makes news and so want to grab a share of the spotlight -- criticising and berating her.