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The last time around it was one of the syndicated columns of Dr Shashi Tharoor - on the possibility of an Israeli style aerial strike on terror camps across the border - which sparked a controversy.
Now it is his recent remarks on Swami Vivekananda’s well-known views on vegetarianism and alcohol that the rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is making a campaign point against him in the run-up to the next year’s general elections.
Senior BJP leader, O Rajagopal, 84, who is tipped to be the party’s candidate for the third time from here, was quick to call a press conference and demand an apology from the junior human resources minister for “hurting the sentiments of the country”.
“Tharoor has hurt the sentiments of the country.... He should realise his fault and tender a sincere apology to the youth of the country,” Rajagopal said, alleging the former UN undersecretary general was still rooted in American culture and lifestyle.
According to Rajagopal, being a Bengali from the Kayastha caste, Vivekananda may have had fish and even meat, but there was no reference of him ever having taken liquor.
“Tharoor should clarify from where he had sourced the information that Vivekananda was an alcoholic,” said the former federal minister.
Dr Tharoor made the remarks at a function held as part of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Vivekananda in the state capital where Vice-President Dr Hamid Ansari unveiled the statue of the world famous saint who once described Kerala as a lunatic asylum.
“Swami Vivekananda was an extraordinary figure… The remarkable thing about his legacy to us is that all of us can lay claim to it,” the transcript of the speech, released by Tharoor’s office stated.
“He was a giant of his time; he was also a human being capable of human behaviour. The fact that he occasionally took a drink, the fact that he occasionally ate meat, was held against him by the purists.
“But the fact is that he never considered himself detached from the world; his spirituality was anchored in the world.
“And that is the great lesson he leaves to those of us in public life.”
Tharoor, 57, who won the seat with a huge margin of 99,999 votes has already made his intention clear of seeking a second parliamentary term from the Kerala capital, which is difficult for his Congress party to deny under the present circumstances.
Deeply divided after the revolt of the state unit chief Ramesh Chennithala and eclipsed by the ‘solar scam’, Thiruvananthapuram and Wayanad are the two seats where the party is expecting a sure win.
Sources in the Communist Party of India (CPI), which fielded the candidate for the Left Democratic Front (LDF), said the party has already begun its search for a candidate strong enough to put up a fight.
Meanwhile, superstar Mammootty, chairman of the Kairali TV group promoted by the opposition Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), denied reports that he would be taking the political plunge as a Leftist candidate against the charismatic politician hugely popular among younger voters.
“Have seen some fake reports on social media about me contesting in the parliament elections. Let me clarify to all my friends that all those reports are wrong,” he wrote on his Facebook page.