BJP protests in Nagaland after Shashi Tharoor's 'outlandish headgear' remarks, demands apology from Congress leader

Dimapur: The BJP Nagaland unit took out a protest rally and burnt an effigy of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor Tuesday demanding apology from the former union minister for allegedly disrespecting the Naga culture. “Tharoor has shown utter disregard towards the custom of the Nagas and has crossed all limits,” state BJP General Secretary James Vizo said. He also demanded an apology from Tharoor. “It is shameful for someone who was at the United Nations and is an elected representative to mock the custom of the tribal people. He has insulted the tribal people of north east in general and the Nagas in particular,” Vizo said. [caption id=“attachment_4469057” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. PTI[/caption] The Thiruvananthapuram MP had courted controversy by claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could wear all kinds of headgear, but not Muslim skull cap. “I ask you why does our prime minister wear all sorts of outlandish headgear wherever he goes around the country or around the world? Why does he always refuse to wear a Muslim skull cap?” Tharoor had said while speaking at a seminar in the capital of Kerala on 5 August. Vizo claimed that the attitude unmasked the Congress’ claims of being the party for the downtrodden minorities and tribals. Tharoor’s statement drew sharp response from the BJP leaders and Union ministers. Being attacked for the statement, he said in a tweet: “The cynicism of the BJP is as impressive as their tactics. When confronted with an irrefutable criticism, they seize on an irrelevant detail, manufacture a fake controversy with the help of an obliging media, and change the narrative so it is about the detail and not the original critique!”