Shashi Tharoor mocks Narendra Modi for donning 'outlandish' Naga headgear, BJP leaders slam him for 'insulting' North East

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has plunged headlong into a fresh row with remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi donning ‘outlandish’ Naga and other headgear on his trips but refusing to sport a Muslim skull cap, comments the BJP dubbed as insulting to the people of the North East. Union minister Kiren Rijiju also demanded that the Congress apologise for Tharoor’s comments. Tharoor had said, “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?” “You see him in Naga headgear with feathers. You have seen him in various kinds of extraordinary outfits which is a right thing for a prime minister to do. Indira Gandhi has also been photographed wearing various kinds of costumes. But why he still always says no to one?” Tharoor said. Several BJP leaders and Union ministers took to Twitter to slam the Congress MP’s remarks —

The former union minister was addressing a seminar on “Standing up to hatred, violence and intolerance in contemporary India” in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. Tharoor, who had recently kicked up a controversy with remarks that the BJP, if voted to power again, will rewrite the Constitution and pave the way for creation of a ‘Hindu Pakistan’, said Modi shunned the green colour as he felt it was associated with Muslim appeasement. “Why does he refuse to wear green, the colour that he says is identified with Muslim appeasement? What kind of talk it is?” he said. Responding to Rathore’s comments, Tharoor said, “Dear Rajyavardhan, you know better: I was obviously referring to the ceremonial headdress offered to visiting dignitaries, not daily wear. But you’re sidestepping the point: when the prime minister wears all types of headgear…why does he avoid just one? With inputs from PTI