In a post on X, the Congress MP on Saturday shared a viral post, showing an image of an answer sheet with a question asking the students to ‘define Uttar Pradesh’.And the answer: “Wah Uttar Pradesh jahan pariksha se pehle uttar ka pata chal jaaye, usse Uttar Pradesh kehte hai (The state where the answer is known before the exam is called Uttar Pradesh).”
Shashi Tharoor’s post on UP went viral. BJP reacts
This post, however, didn’t go well with the BJP and the senior Congress leader faced backlash.
Responding to Shashi Tharoor’s post, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “This gentleman frequently indulges in satirizing various cultures (first Northeast and now UP) with remarkably caustic words. He has succumbed to the beguiling whispers of lunacy, his mind adrift in the ethereal mists of derangement.”
Meanwhile, Union minister Jitin Prasad said that Tharoor’s remark is an insult to UP is deplorable and must be condemned.
BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan called Tharoor a “repeat offender” and alleged that he had earlier insulted the people of the northeast by “ridiculing their traditional attire as outlandish.”
“To belittle a serious issue, implying that the state of UP is a state of cheaters is indefensible and unpardonable. Splattering fancy English words does not necessarily make one civil and dignified,” he added.
State minister AK Sharma also responded to Tharoor’s post and said that after winning the election the ‘dead Congress’ even didn’t thank people properly and had already insulted those who had voted for their party. He also highlighted some great leaders born in the UP.
“Congress, which has insulted Uttar Pradesh in this manner, should apologise to the people of the state. Otherwise, the people here will take revenge from them. This mentality of Congress is highly condemnable,” he added.
Former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who lost against Tharoor in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat, said, “Shameless crass politics of shaming other fellow Indians – thats the Congress way, ably demonstrated by this self-titled Global citizen.”
Referring to the recent controversy around Sam Pitroda’s description of Indian nationals from different parts of the country, he added, “Runs deep in the Cong DNA, this type of superiority complex.”
BJP leader and Rajasthan minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said, “Shashi, you having to resort to frivolity!! And in doing so condemning people of an entire state? You don’t see UP as yours, since you are deriding it. When a person of your stature and intelligence mocks a State, why wouldn’t others do? And then what!!”
CBI registers FIR in alleged NEET-UG paper leak case, say officials
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a First Information Report (FIR) regarding alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate (NEET-UG) conducted on May 5, according to officials on Sunday. The agency is also taking measures to include cases filed by police in various states under its jurisdiction.
This development follows the Centre’s announcement on Saturday that the investigation into the alleged irregularities would be transferred to the CBI. The agency has initiated a new case against unidentified individuals under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), among others, based on a reference from the Union education ministry.
The NEET-UG examination was conducted across 4,750 centers, with approximately 24 lakh candidates participating. The decision to hand over the probe to the CBI was made after a review, in response to demands from students protesting in several cities for an investigation into alleged malpractices during the examination.
“Certain cases of alleged irregularities, cheating, impersonation and malpractice have been reported in NEET-UG which was conducted on May 5,” a senior education ministry official said.
“For transparency in the conduct of the examination process, it was decided after a review that the matter be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive investigation,” the official added.
