Shashi Tharoor Call Indira Gandhi ‘India Gandhi’, Sets Twitter Abuzz
September 24, 2019 14:12
Indian National Congress leader and Member of Parliament on Monday tweeted a photo showing former prime ministers of the country, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, in a car amid huge crowds with a claim that the photo was taken when they visited the United States of America (USA) in 1954.
But, Tharoor, who, besides his political work, is also known for his extensive vocabulary, did a major blunder on Twitter.
Tweeting the photo, Tharoor said, "Nehru and India (sic) Gandhi in the US in 1954. Look at the hugely enthusiastic spontaneous turnout of the American public, without any special PR campaign, NRI crowd management or hyped-up media publicity."
Besides calling Indira Gandhi India Gandhi he moreover gave wrong information to his followers.
Nehru & India Gandhi in the US in 1954. Look at the hugely enthusiastic spontaneous turnout of the American public, without any special PR campaign, NRI crowd management or hyped-up media publicity. pic.twitter.com/aLovXvCyRz
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 23, 2019
The tweet has already gotten 4,300 retweets and more than 19,000 likes. Tharoor's tweet was a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who recently attended ‘Howdy Modi!’ event in Houston to deliver an address to the Indian American community. Among the 50,000 people present at the venue of the mega event was United States President Donald Trump.
However, netizens were quick to troll him. Many Twitter users, including senior journalists, responded to Tharoor's tweet telling him that the image he shared was clicked when Nehru and Gandhi visited 'Moscow in 1956'.
That is Moscow 1956. Totally arranged adulation
— R Jagannathan (@TheJaggi) September 23, 2019
The truth is, the photo of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi that Tharoor shared was one clicked in 1955 when they visited then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), in Magnitogorsk, and not one clicked in 1954 in the United States of America.
Here’s what Twitterati is saying:
Pic 1:-
— Sujay Raj (@Sujay__Raj) September 23, 2019
▪️The Pic is not from US, it's from Moscow
▪️The Pic is not of 1954, it's of 1956.
▪️She's not India Gandhi, She's Indira Gandhi
Pic 2:-
▪️According to Shashi Tharoor Sir Nehru & India Gandhi in the US in 1954.
Do Some basic fact check before Spreading pic.twitter.com/cA5LXtOQTT
Who's India Gandhi ? #IndiaGandhi . https://t.co/WU19DtMnSx
— Yallappa Gulbarga (@YallappaGulbar1) September 24, 2019
India Gandhi ?
— Reborn2ndtime (@Reborn2ndtime_) September 23, 2019
Can u explain what he waana say? https://t.co/uw4TpnzGGQ
"India Gandhi"? @ShashiTharoor presents photograph of #Nehru in Soviet Union as image from USA to downplay success of "Howdy Modi"! #ShashiTharoor https://t.co/0ARzcpvLac pic.twitter.com/8r1FpMFUnR
— joydeep Roy (@IjoydeepRoy) September 23, 2019
After his mistake was pointed out by the netizens, Tharoor, in a new tweet responded to the blunder that he made saying:
"I am told this picture (forwarded to me) probably is from a visit to the USSR and not the US. Even if so, it still doesn't alter the message: the fact is that former PMs also enjoyed popularity abroad. When @narendramodi is honoured, @PMOIndia is honoured; respect is for India."
I am told this picture (forwarded to me) probably is from a visit to the USSR and not the US. Even if so, it still doesn't alter the message: the fact is that former PMs also enjoyed popularity abroad. When @narendramodi is honoured, @PMOIndia is honoured; respect is for India. https://t.co/9KQMcR0zTD
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 23, 2019
Tharoor’s first tweet was in response to the monolithic crowd that came to attend Narendra Modi’s ‘Howdy Modi!’ event during his recent visit to the United States.
By Sowmya Sangam