"Shameless crass politics": BJP leaders slam Shashi Tharoor over controversial post on Uttar Pradesh

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders strongly criticized Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday for his controversial post about Uttar Pradesh, accusing him of engaging in "shameless crass politics" and disrespecting fellow Indians.

The controversy erupted after Tharoor shared an image on social media platform X, featuring a satirical question and answer in Hindi. The question asked, "What is called Uttar Pradesh?" with the answer being, "The state where the answer is known before the exam is called Uttar Pradesh." Tharoor described the post as "shandaar" (splendid) and included the hashtag "#ParikshaPeCharcha," referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative to engage with students on exam-related stress.

The post quickly drew ire from BJP leaders. Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar criticized Tharoor's tweet, saying, "This demonstrates the Congress party's shameless crass politics of shaming fellow Indians. Tharoor, a self-proclaimed global citizen, exemplifies this attitude."

Chandrasekhar also recalled a previous incident involving another Congress member, Sam Pitroda, who had made controversial comments about Indian identity. "It runs deep in the Congress DNA, this type of superiority complex," Chandrasekhar added.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri expressed his disappointment, stating, "I am surprised that Tharoor chose to stereotype, trivialize, and caricature an entire state in this manner."

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also responded sharply to Tharoor's post, accusing him of succumbing to "the beguiling whispers of lunacy." Sarma remarked, "This gentleman frequently indulges in satirizing various cultures (first Northeast and now UP) with remarkably caustic words. He has succumbed to the beguiling whispers of lunacy, his mind adrift in the ethereal mists of derangement."

The incident has sparked a broader debate on the appropriateness of political satire and the sensitivity required when addressing regional identities in India.

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