Shashi Tharoor got his Tweet Wrong

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Shashi Tharoor got a rap for twittering. Literally and figuratively. Apparently, he was responding to a specific query on his Twitter page - 'would you travel cattle class on your next trip to Kerala?' And the suave, articulate (but obviously uninformed in the ways of politically-correct, neta speak) Junior Foreign Minister tweeted - "Absolutely. In cattle class out of solidarity with our holy cows."

I laughed out loud on seeing that reply. But, Tharoor's political bosses dont share the mirth. They reprimanded him. And that's his second reprimand in a week.

I am not offended by Tharoor's tweet and I realize it was his dig at the holier-than-thou politicians who asked him to get out of the luxury hotel and move into Kerala House. I am just surprised that man like Tharoor didn't use a better choice of words. He is a minister, very recently in the spotlight for his very un'austere' lifestyle. The last thing he should be doing is taking potshots in public media. I think, he could have made his point in less sarcastic ways.

Of course, he is the man who started this great, big austerity drive that all our politicians are on. First, Sonia Gandhi travelled economy class, then Rahul one-upped his mom by travelling passenger class on Shatabdi. Now, SM Krishna is taking a commercial flight to Minsk that will have him in the air for 18 hours instead of the 4 odd hours that it would have taken him had he flown his Embrar. And, NDTV had an animated graphic to illustrate the point!

Seriously, I think the whole lot has gone overboard with this austerity epidemic. So long as the man is not using tax-payer money, I dont care how he lives or how he travels. Most politicians have full coffers and the dhoti-kurta is only a sham. Everyone knows that. So, these 'austerity' measures are only yet another tamaasha.

The Civil aviation minister Praful Patel was at least honest when he made this tongue-in-cheek statement. "Politicians must appear to be austere, if nothing else."

Photo Credit: The pic is from here.

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