Ola says it is a secular platform after social media user cancels on Muslim driver
The taxi-hailing service asked Abhishek Mishra, who is followed on Twitter by a number of Cabinet ministers, to treat its drivers with respect.

Taxi-hailing service Ola on Sunday said that it is a secular platform that does not discriminate against its drivers or customers on the basis of their “caste, religion, gender or creed” after a social media user claimed he had cancelled a cab because the driver was Muslim.
“We urge all our customers and driver partners to treat each other with respect at all times,” the company said in response to Abhishek Mishra’s post. Mishra has a verified Twitter account and claims to be a member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and is reportedly employed in Lucknow as a digital media adviser.
Ola, like our country, is a secular platform, and we don't discriminate our driver partners or customers basis their caste, religion, gender or creed. We urge all our customers and driver partners to treat each other with respect at all times.
— Ola (@Olacabs) April 22, 2018
Mishra is followed by a number of ministers in Narendra Modi’s government, including Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.
His tweet attracted a lot of criticism from other social media users.
Goodness gracious... Why do so many ministers follow such flaming bigotry? @nsitharaman @PiyushGoyal @dpradhanbjp @Ra_THORe https://t.co/icTYSuaO3Q
— Suhasini Haidar (@suhasinih) April 22, 2018
I remember an India where people who thought this way would have been ostracized rather than admired &"followed". We need to #BringIndiannessBack. https://t.co/410oU4JVuR
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 22, 2018
Next up, a tweet to Starbucks saying "Boycotting you because Coffee was originally brewed by Sufis in Yemen. HOW DARE YOU SERVE MUSLIM DRINKY DRINK?" pic.twitter.com/dLlB3QBPB1
— Meghnad (@Memeghnad) April 22, 2018
Much respect to Ola for a really really great reply.
— Anoo Bhuyan (@AnooBhu) April 22, 2018
Can't imagine this was easy for them, but stay strong as bhakts downgrade your app... (but they won't boycott you yaar... they also need to reach office)https://t.co/pgtodLONyC
Good job...but please don't use don't use any vehicle at all, as they all run on petrol coming from Muslim countries. Save your money from Jihadis.....start using bullock carts. https://t.co/VZLObjxc0c
— Scotchy (@scotchism) April 22, 2018