PM Modi always talked of his humble background and I did the same: Shashi Tharoor on his 'chaiwala' jibe

Days after triggering a huge row with his 'chaiwala' jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor yet again raked up a political storm with his weaponry of words on Thursday. Explaining his 'Chaiwala' remark on the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, Tharoor said that PM Modi has always talked of his humble background, and therefore, he did the same.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP has also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of playing unnecessary blame games, saying "even if you drive safely on the road, they will come and purposely collide with you to make it look like an accident".

"PM Modi has always talked of his humble background, and I did the same. BJP is today in a condition that even if you drive safely on the road, they will come and purposely collide with you to make it look like an accident: Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP on his 'chaiwala' remark," ANI quoted Tharoor as saying.

PM Modi has always talked of his humble background, and I did the same. BJP is today in a condition that even if you drive safely on the road, they will come and purposely collide with you to make it look like an accident: Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP on his 'chaiwala' remark pic.twitter.com/uDgLhs9QLs

— ANI (@ANI) November 15, 2018

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Speaking at the re-launch of his book in New Delhi, Tharoor praised India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and credited him for creating democratic institutions that enabled a 'chaiwala' to become the prime minister of the country.

"If today we have a 'chaiwala' as Prime Minister, it's because Nehru ji made it possible to create the institutional structures through which any Indian can aspire to rise to the highest office in the land," said Tharoor at the relaunch of his book, 'Nehru: The invention of India'.

In no time, Tharoor’s statement went viral on social media followed by a full-blown Twitter war between the BJP and the Congress on the birth anniversary of Nehru.

However, this is not the first time that Tharoor has sparked off a row with his contentious words. Last week, the outspoken Congress leader was under scanner following his remark - 'Modi is like a scorpion on Shivling' - made during an event in Bengaluru. The BJP had also moved a criminal defamation suit in Delhi's Patiala House Court against Tharoor for his vexed remarks targeting the PM.

Read | Shashi Tharoor hits back at BJP, says criminal defamation charge a bid to 'throttle freedom of expression'

In August, Tharoor, who has developed a status of being controversy's favourite child over the years, made headlines after he spoke about Modi donning "outlandish" Naga and other headgear on his trips but refusing to sport a Muslim skull cap.

Tharoor also stoked a controversy, saying that no 'good' Hindu would favour a Ram temple in Ayodhya by demolishing somebody else's place of worship.