"Those who mock Uttar Pradesh will face humiliation..": Afzal Ansari reacts to Shashi Tharoor's tweet on UP
Jun 24, 2024
New Delhi [India] June 24 : Samajwadi Party MP Afzal Ansari, on Monday, commented on the first session of the Lok Sabha, saying that although there are issues to address, today is primarily about the oath-taking ceremony and the appointment of the speaker.
Regarding the appointment of the pro-tem speaker, Ansari condemned the decision, suggesting that appointing a senior member would have been preferable.
Further speaking on Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's controversial tweet on Uttar Pradesh, Ansari remarked, "Those who mock Uttar Pradesh will face humiliation."
The development comes after Congress leader Shashi Tharoor shared an image on X that had a question and an answer. The question in Hindi was, "What is called Uttar Pradesh?" The answer was: "Weh pradesh jahan pariksha se pehle uttar ka pata chal jaaye, usse Uttar Pradesh kehte hai (The state where the answer is known before the exam is called Uttar Pradesh)."
Tharoor's statement has attracted massive criticism from the BJP leaders, who have labelled it "shameless crass politics".
Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar condemned the tweet, accusing Tharoor of demonstrating a superiority complex, while Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri expressed disappointment over Tharoor's stereotyping and trivializing an entire state. Puri highlighted Uttar Pradesh's significant contributions to Indian civilization, literature, and politics, and asked Tharoor to introspect.
Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma criticized Tharoor's recurring satirical comments about various cultures, describing Tharoor's mind as "adrift in the ethereal mists of derangement."
Tharoor's tweet included a Hindi joke defining Uttar Pradesh as a state where exam answers are known beforehand, accompanied by the hashtag "Pariksha pe charcha," referencing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's student interaction programme.
