Is Xi under house arrest? Social media abuzz with coup rumours

CHENNAI: According to several posts on social media, Xi Jinping is currently under house arrest after being removed as the chief of China’s PLA (People’s Liberation Army).

However, there is no official confirmation yet from the state media on this.

Former Cabinet minister and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in a tweet mentioned, "New rumour to be checked out: Is Xi jingping under house arrest in Beijing ? When Xi was in Samarkand recently, the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party were supposed to have removed Xi from the Party’s in-charge of Army. Then House arrest followed. So goes the rumour."

Several Chinese nationals have been taking to Twitter posted about Xi Jinping alleged house arrest, claiming that the army to have taken over.

A netizen tweeted, "#PLA military vehicles heading to #Beijing on Sep 22. Starting from Huanlai County near Beijing & ending in Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, entire procession as long as 80 KM. Meanwhile, rumor has it that #XiJinping was under arrest after #CCP seniors removed him as head of PLA"

Replying to this another wrote, "This video of military vehicles moving to #Beijing comes immediately after the grounding of 59% of the flights in the country and the jailings of senior officials. There’s a lot of smoke, which means there is a fire somewhere inside the #CCP. #China is unstable."

However, a few said that reports of a coup against the Chinese President are premature and exaggerated.

Further details awaited..