Congress MP Shashi Tharoor jumped on the bandwagon to condemn Republic TV's editor Arnab Goswami's controversial remarks on a TV debate about the ongoing row over the reported UAE help to flood-hit Kerala.
Goswami was lambasted on social media after a 30 second video clip of him purportedly calling "a group" the "most shameless bunch of Indians I have ever seen" went viral on social media.
Though Goswami was railing (rightly or wrongly) against the "netas" or the people who were trying to take advantage of Kerala, his remarks sparked off a storm on social platforms with netizens accusing him of disgracing Keralites.
"Given the disgraceful attacks on Malayalis in general by some petty minds, it’s time for us to stand up for ourselves. Let’s evoke the reasons why we are #ProudToBeMalayali," Tharoor said in a series of tweets on Sunday.
"The amazing response of solidarity and commitment to people in distress which we have seen in the face of colossal calamity makes me #ProudToBeMalayali," he said.
"Our history of welcoming the distressed fleeing war-torn lands, our openness to new ideas & new faiths like Christianity and Islam, our history of religious harmony makes me #ProudToBeMalayali," he said and added that "Our courageous social reform movements against caste oppression, led by heroes like Sree Narayana Guru, Mahatma Ayyankali, Chattampi Swami and others, makes me #ProudToBeMalayali."
Given the disgraceful attacks on Malayalis in general by some petty minds, it’s time for us to stand up for ourselves. Let’s evoke the reasons why we are #ProudToBeMalayali.
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 26, 2018
The amazing response of solidarity & commitment to people in distress which we have seen in the face of colossal calamity makes me #ProudToBeMalayali.
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 26, 2018
Our history of welcoming the distressed fleeing war-torn lands, our openness to new ideas & new faiths like Christianity & Islam, our history of religious harmony makes me #ProudToBeMalayali
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 26, 2018
Our courageous social reform movements against caste oppression, led by heroes like Sree Narayana Guru, Mahatma Ayyankali, Chattampi Swami & others, makes me #ProudToBeMalayali
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 26, 2018
The controversy has erupted ever since Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan put out a tweet on August 21 claiming that the UAE offered a Rs 700 crore to Kerala, considering the Gulf nation's special relationship with Kerala. His tweet came two days after prime minister and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum tweeted that his country has formed a committee for extending help to flood affected people in Kerala.
However, later, the UAE ambassador Ahmed Albanna clarified that there has been no official announcement so far by the UAE on any specific amount as financial aid. This led to a political storm, as the Kerala BJP unit urged CM Vijayan to reveal the source of his information that the UAE promised Rs 700 crore.