BJP Leaders Blast Shashi Tharoor’s UP Wordplay: “Don’t See The Humour”

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s criticism of the BJP over paper leaks in competitive exams at both the state and national levels has triggered a strong backlash, with BJP leaders from Uttar Pradesh accusing him of demeaning and stereotyping the state.

Late last night, Mr. Tharoor shared an image on X (formerly Twitter) that featured a question and answer. The question in Hindi was, “What is called Uttar Pradesh?” The answer was: “a state where uttar (meaning answers) are known before the exam.” Describing the post as “shandaar” (splendid), Mr. Tharoor added the hashtag “Pariksha pe charcha,” a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to engage with students.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP’s post was aimed at mocking the government over numerous cases of paper leaks in state-level and national examinations. Currently, there are widespread protests surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical course admissions. Alleged irregularities in the exam, taken by 24 lakh students, have led the government to order a CBI investigation. Amid this controversy, the government has postponed three other all-India exams, provoking strong reactions from opposition parties.

At the state level, several recruitment exam papers have been leaked in Uttar Pradesh this year, drawing severe criticism for the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government. Paper leaks were a significant issue during the general election, where the BJP saw its score in Uttar Pradesh drop from 62 seats in the 2019 elections to 33 this time.

Mr. Tharoor’s post has provoked a strong response in Uttar Pradesh, with BJP leaders accusing him of insulting the state. Union Minister Jitin Prasada, a notable UP leader who previously belonged to the Congress, responded, “I don’t see the humour in running down my state and its people by stereotyping them with such condemnable remarks. Such an insult to UP is deplorable and must be condemned in strongest words.”

Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekar also criticized Tharoor, saying the post exemplifies “shameless crass politics of shaming fellow Indians.” He remarked, “Shameless crass politics of shaming other fellow Indians – that’s the Congress way, ably demonstrated by this self-titled Global citizen. It was just a few months ago, another of Cong ‘global citizens’ Pitroda described Indians as Africans, Chinese, Middle eastern etc. Runs deep in the Cong DNA, this type of superiority complex.”

BJP’s national spokesperson CR Kesavan labeled Mr. Tharoor “a repeat offender who had earlier gravely insulted our North East brothers and sisters by ridiculing their traditional attire as outlandish.” He added, “To belittle a serious issue, implying that the state of UP is a state of cheaters is indefensible and unpardonable. Splattering fancy English words does not necessarily make one civil and dignified.”

Rajasthan minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore also rebuked the Congress MP, stating, “Shashi, you having to resort to frivolity!! And in doing so condemning people of an entire state? You don’t see UP as yours, since you are deriding it.”

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma joined in with a ‘Tharooresque’ retort, alluding to Mr. Tharoor’s often highlighted extensive vocabulary and choice of words. He commented, “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.”