In Tharoorian style, Saurav Das seeks ‘reprise’ of Congress MP's 2018 scorpion remark

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has steered clear of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-convenor Saurav Das's attempt to draw him into a comment on a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but that has not stopped the latter from pressing him to revisit his controversial 2018 "scorpion on a Shivling" remark.

On Wednesday night, Das, in suitably Tharoorian prose, asked Tharoor for a “reprise” on the “immortal zoological-theological conundrum involving a scorpion and the impracticability of a chappal”.

“Dr. Tharoor, I speak, of course, of that immortal zoological-theological conundrum involving a scorpion and the impracticability of a chappal. In the context of the video, surely it warrants a reprise?” Das posted on X.

This came after Das, earlier on Wednesday, tried to draw Tharoor into commenting on a video of PM Modi, in which he is seen offering prayers to Lord Shiva.

“I see this and am reminded of a banger comment by @ShashiTharoor Dr. Tharoor, would it be an unconscionable imposition upon your eloquence to solicit a reprise of that ineffably felicitous observation, sir?” Das wrote on X, as he tagged the Congress MP.

In response, Tharoor said: “It wouldn’t, @SauravDassss, if I had the slightest idea what you are referring to! Do enlighten me.”

During the Bangalore Literature Festival on October 28, 2018,Tharoor had allegedly compared Modi to a scorpion, following which BJP leader Rajiv Babbar filed a defamation case against the Thiruvananthapuram MP in 2019.

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Babbar claimed that the remark not only targeted the Prime Minister but also amounted to vilification of the faith of millions of devotees of Lord Shiva. He further accused Tharoor of hurting religious sentiments and disparaging the Prime Minister.

Tharoor, however, maintained that the remark was borrowed from an article published in 2012, when Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat. In his petition, he contended that Babbar’s complaint was not legally maintainable as he is not an “aggrieved person” under the law, especially since the person directly referred to in the statement had not taken any legal action. He also relied on the exception under the law on defamation that exempts any comment made in good faith.

Tharoor earlier moved the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court junked his plea challenging the defamation proceedings initiated against him.

Last year, the top court favoured closing the criminal defamation case against Tharoor, as it advised the complainant not to be “touchy” about such comments.

Tharoor was stated to have merely made a reference to an article published in the Caravan magazine six years prior to making the statement.