Revanth Reddy calls Shashi Tharoor ‘donkey’, apologises; Tharoor accepts
Hyderabad: TPCC president A Revanth Reddy learnt it the hard way, not to shoot his mouth off against senior party leaders. He had bitten more than he could chew when he labeled Congress MP from Tiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor a donkey, and finally had to apologize to the latter for his comments after getting a mouthful from senior party leaders.
“I spoke to Shashi Tharoorji to convey that I hereby withdraw the remarks and reiterate that I hold my senior colleague in the highest regard. I regret any hurt that may have been caused to him by my words. We share our faith in the values and policies of the Congress party. And I know he joins me in wanting Congress to win the support of the public to form the next government in Telangana,” Revanth Reddy tweeted in response to a string of tweets from Tharoor, IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao and Congress MP Manish Tewari, among others.
Tharoor, known more for throwing up heavy words that has people scrambling for the dictionary, tried to keep it simple and straight lest Revanth Reddy doesn’t comprehend what he said. “I am sure he was only expressing his fraternal feelings!” Tharoor tweeted in response to a Twiterrati’s post of a news report in which Revanth Reddy spewed venom at the former.
The genesis to the sordid episode lay in Tharoor’s recent visit to Hyderabad, leading the Parliamentary Standing Committee on IT, and his heaping praise on IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao over the good work done in Telangana in the IT sector.
In a chat with the media on Wednesday, Revanthy Reddy, obviously peeved by Tharoor’s good words for Rama Rao, also said the MP and the Minister were of the same ilk and that fluency in English does not necessarily translate into knowledge.
Besides Tharoor’s seemingly gentle but direct hit, the Congress president also got a tongue-lashing from Rama Rao. “As the chairman of the IT standing committee, Shashi Tharoor Ji had paid some compliments to the efforts of the Govt of Telangana recently His colleague in parliament & PCC Cheap (sic) calls him a Donkey!! This is what happens when you have a 3rd rate criminal/thug leading the party,” the Minister tweeted initially.
He followed up with another stinging tweet that read: “While scumbags like @revanth_Anumula need not be responded to, it’s important to expose filth. Here’s his audio clip/comments on Tharoor, sent to me by a reporter I am sure if we send it to a forensic lab, it will match his infamous #not4vote voice. Any comments Rahul Gandhiji?”
Congress MP Manish Tewari also shot off a stinker to Revanth Reddy, stating: “Dear Mr Revanth, Dr Shashi Tharoor is a valued colleague of yours and mine. It would have been better if you would have spoken to him if you had some misgivings about a purported statement of his. Grace and propriety demands you withdraw your words.”
Responding to Revanth tweet, Tharoor tweeted: “I received a gracious call from Revanth to apologise for what was said. I accept his expression of regret and I am happy to put this unfortunate episode behind us. We must work together to strengthen INC India in Telangana and across the country.”
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