BJP ‘viRuSS’ only affects those with low immunity: Shashi Tharoor takes subtle dig at Scindia

On Sunday, Shashi Tharoor appeared to take a dig at former colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia while replying to a Twitter user.

When asked if the BJP was wooing him, Tharoor wrote: “That BJP viRuSS only affects those with lower immunity. But as years of my writings& speeches show you, I’m pretty strongly vaccinated against it. If anything, unlike #COVID19, it’s the younger ones with less secular immunity these days who seem susceptible to succumb.”

Interestingly, Tharoor is 64 while his former colleague Scindia is 49.

Scindia recently quit the Congress and joined BJP.

Earlier, Lok Sabha MP and party leader Shashi Tharoor said he believed that a change of guard might be in order. “We need to start with a longer-term, as opposed to interim, Congress president, as well as the ‘elected’ membership of the working committee,” he told Rediff in an interview.

While Tharoor is not a member of the Congress Working Committee, he has repeatedly appealed to the body to “hold leadership elections to energise workers and inspire voters”.

In 2017, Tharoor had claimed that India’s erstwhile kings were less concerned about their honour when the British were trampling it and now were after a filmmaker claiming prestige was at stake.

“It is (our fault) and I say so. I actually don’t take the mantle of victimhood. In about half a dozen places in the book, I am harsh enough on us… Some British reviewers said ‘Why doesn’t he explain why the British conquered?’ And it’s a fair question…,” Tharoor said.

“In fact, every single one of these so called valorous maharajas, who today are after a Mumbai filmmaker because their honour is at stake, they were less concerned about their honour when the British were trampling all over it. They scurried to accommodate themselves. So let’s face it, there is no question, that we were complicit,” he added.

This led Scindai to reply: “”I think he (Shashi Tharoor) should study history, I am Jyotiraditya Scindia and I am proud of my past”.

Legend still talks about the first instance of horse trading, when Jayaji Rao Scindia was accused of giving a lame horse to Jhansi Ki Rani which led to her death.

In fact, the Gwalior Municipal Corporation website had claimed in 2005: “The issue clearly has political overtones, with the local BJP eager to target junior Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Narrating Gwalior’s history, the corporation website says: “Rani (Queen) of Jhansi, Lakshmi Bai came to Gwalior when general Huroz of British army defeated Lakshmi Bai in Kalpi. Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior betrayed Lakshmi Bai. He gave her a weak horse. Sensing something fishy Lakshmi Bai decided to leave Gwalior. She laid down her life, while fighting British, on 18th June 1858.”

While serious historians have debunked the claim, the Scindias’ proximity to the British earned Jayajirao the rank of a general and a 21-gun salute.

RS Prasad removes allegation against Tharoor

Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said he has withdrawn his allegation made during Lok Sabha polls against Shashi Tharoor that the Congress leader is an “accused in a murder case”.

Reacting to the move, Tharoor said he is instructing his lawyers to withdraw the case he had filed against Prasad.

“Pleased to announce the amicable settlement of my recent differences with Shri @ShashiTharoor Ji,” Prasad tweeted.

He shared the letter written by him to Tharoor on March 20 withdrawing his allegation.

Prasad also shared the letter Tharoor has written to him saying that he is happy to treat the matter as closed.

Tharoor said he is instructing his lawyers to withdraw the case he had filed.

“More than a year ago during the heat of campaign I had made a comment describing you as an accused in a murder case. On receiving subsequent information about the conclusion of the investigation in the concerned case I learnt that the said allegation against you is not factually correct accordingly, withdraw it unconditionally,” Prasad said in his letter.

Prasad said his made the allegation in response to Tharoor’s observations, “which is not of your own making but someone else’s comments”, presenting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a very “uncharitable light”.

“Though this was surely not your comment but its reiteration by you gave it prominence and led to circulation in entire country through media. I think if there is an introspection you too may be able to persuade yourself that the said comment being stated by you was avoidable,” the minister wrote.

Tharoor responding by saying “it was very gracious of you to withdraw your words in respect of myself, which had offended me greatly. I welcome your sentiments and in view of our long association, I am happy to treat the matter as closed.