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Shashi Tharoor’s dig at center amid paper leak row draws BJP’s return fire

Written by:Viola HernandezPosted on:

'Don't see the humor': BJP leaders slam Shashi Tharoor's UP pun

BJP leaders criticized Shashi Tharoor and accused him of insulting Uttar Pradesh.

New Delhi:

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s swipe at the BJP over document leaks in state-level and pan-India competitive exams has sparked a strong response, with Uttar Pradesh BJP leaders accusing him of belittling and stereotyping the northern state .

Last night, Tharoor shared a picture on X that had a question and an answer. The question in Hindi was: “What is the name of Uttar Pradesh?” The answer was: “a state where uttar (meaning answers) are known before the exam.” Tharoor described the post as “shandaar” and added the hashtag “Pariksha pe charcha”, a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to interact with students.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP’s post was clearly aimed at mocking the Center for multiple cases of document leaks in state-level and all-India exams. The country is currently witnessing massive protests over the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical courses. The alleged irregularities in the exam, taken by 24 lakh students, have prompted the government to order a CBI probe. Amid the dispute, the government postponed three more exams across India, prompting a strong response from opposition parties.

At the state level too, question papers of several recruitment exams in Uttar Pradesh have been leaked this year and the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government has come under heavy criticism. In fact, document leaks were a key talking point during the general elections in which the BJP took a big hit in Uttar Pradesh, with its score dropping from 62 in the 2019 polls to 33 this time.

Tharoor’s post, however, has sparked a backlash in Uttar Pradesh, where BJP leaders accuse him of insulting the state.

Union Minister Jitin Prasada, a prominent UP leader who was previously in the Congress, wrote in response to Mr. Tharoor: “I see no sense of humor in attacking my state and its people by stereotyping them with such condemnable comments.” “The insult to the UP is deplorable and must be condemned in the strongest words.”

Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekar also attacked, saying the post demonstrates a “rude and shameless policy of shaming other Indians”. “The shameless and boorish policy of shaming fellow Indians – that’s the Congress way, ably demonstrated by this eponymous global citizen. Just a few months ago, another of the Cong’s ‘global citizens’, Pitroda, described Indians as African, Chinese, Middle Eastern. This kind of superiority complex is deeply rooted in the DNA of the Cong,” posted Chandrashekar, who lost to Tharoor in this election.

BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan called Mr Tharoor “a repeat offender who had earlier gravely insulted our northeastern brothers and sisters by ridiculing their traditional dress as extravagant”. “Belittling a serious issue by implying that the state of UP is a state of cheaters is indefensible and unforgivable. Sprinkling fancy words in English does not necessarily make one civilized and dignified.”

Another BJP leader who attacked the Congress MP was Rajasthan Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. “Shashi, you have to resort to frivolity! And by doing so you condemn people of an entire state? You don’t see UP as yours as you are making fun of it,” he posted.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma responded in a manner that could be called “Tharooresque”. Mr. Tharoor’s extensive vocabulary and choice of words have often made headlines. In his attack on the Congress leader, Sarma seemed to be playing that game.

“This gentleman frequently indulges in satirizing various cultures (first from the Northeast and now from the UP) with remarkably caustic words. He has succumbed to the seductive whispers of madness, his mind adrift in the ethereal mists of disorder,” the Minister posted Assam Main.

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