After Manushi Chhillar Tweet, 'Chill' Apology Lands Shashi Tharoor in Trouble

New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor can’t seem to catch a break. First, it was a pun on Miss World Manushi Chhillar’s name that triggered a storm of criticism on Twitter. And now, it’s the apology.

Tharoor had tried to mock the Centre over demonetisation on Sunday with a wordplay on the Haryana-born Miss World’s surname, but the tweet backfired when Twitterati accused him of insulting Manushi Chhillar who had brought back the crown to India after 17 years.

“What a mistake to demonetise our currency! BJP should have realised that Indian cash dominates the globe: look, even our Chhillar has become Miss World!” Tharoor wrote, equating Chhillar with its literal meaning – coins.

Tharoor also received summons from the National Commission of Women for the “derogatory and degrading tweet”. NCW chief Rekha Sharma said she had asked the Congress MP to tender an apology, but did not receive any response. Tharoor, eventually, did apologise.

The apology, however, has not gone down well with the NCW whose chief has asked him to apologise “properly”, calling his earlier tweet “below the belt”.

“He hasn't hit below the belt only the girl but also the nation, because she got fame and name to the nation. Summons doesn't mean we want to go to police or book him. We just want him to realise what he said was wrong,” Rekha Sharma said.