Congress leader Shashi Tharoor plunged into a fresh row by criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “dislike” towards Muslim community.
"I ask you, why does our prime minister wear all sorts of outlandish headgear wherever he goes around the country or around the world? Why does he always refuse to wear a Muslim skull cap?” Tharoor said while addressing a seminar on 'Standing up to hatred, violence and intolerance in contemporary India' on Sunday in Thiruvananthapuram.
"You see him in Naga headgears with feathers. You have seen him in various kinds of extraordinary outfits which is a right thing for a prime minister to do... But why he still always says no to one? The prime minister dislikes one particular community and discriminates against them in spite of his party's slogan 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas',” the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram added.
Tharoor's comments drew sharp responses from many quarters and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju had demanded an apology from the Congress leader. "I demand apology from the Congress Party for insulting the people of India's North East & Tribals. Shashi Tharoor described North-East people & Naga Tribal headgears as funny looking outlandish & hilarious," Rijiju, a native of Arunachal Pradesh, said on Twitter.
However, the Congress leader later clarified that the comments were just an observation from his side and he would be waiting for an answer.
Tharoor waded into the fresh row just weeks after he sparked another controversy by his 'Hindu Pakistan' comment. The statement drew flak from various political quarters, with the BJP demanding an apology from Congress president Rahul Gandhi.