india

Updated: Aug 25, 2020 13:17 IST

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has issued an apology on Twitter for his comments against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Speaking to a private TV channel, Tharoor had directly attacked Kejriwal for not doing anything in the wake of violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA.

“Mr Kejriwal is trying to have it both ways. He has made statements deploring the CAA and NRC but he has not taken any tangible action. He has not even shown human compassion one expects from a chief minister from victims of violence in his state. In any other state, had students been bashed up in this way, the chief minister woud have visited them and shown them some concern. Mr Kejriwal really wants power without responsibility, which we all know has been the prerogative of eunuchs for ages,” Tharoor said in a sharp attack on Kejriwal on Monday.

The apology, however, was not for the eunuch reference, but for the use of the line “power without responsibility”.

Apologies to those who found my quote about "power without responsibility" offensive. It's an old line from British politics, going back to Kipling & PrimeMinister Stanley Baldwin, &most recently used by Tom Stoppard. I recognize that its use today was inappropriate &withdraw it. — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 13, 2020

“Apologies to those who found my quote about “power without responsibility” offensive. It’s an old line from British politics, going back to Kipling & PrimeMinister Stanley Baldwin, &most recently used by Tom Stoppard. I recognize that its use today was inappropriate &withdraw it,” the Congress leader tweeted on Tuesday morning.

Twitter had erupted after Tharoor’s remarks, with many users saying the comments were unacceptable.

Absolutely unacceptable comments from @ShashiTharoor comparing "eunuchs" to those who "want power without responsibility."



Dr. Tharoor must apologise immediately. Transphobia cannot be tolerated, especially from elected representatives. https://t.co/c5smwSINa2 — Anish Gawande (@anishgawande) January 13, 2020

Hello LGBT community, will you please boycott this man who is saying that eunuchs only want power without responsibility? https://t.co/oIgoYmremI — sonia 🇮🇳🕉 (@sonia_sinha) January 14, 2020

“Absolutely unacceptable comments from @ShashiTharoor comparing “eunuchs” to those who “want power without responsibility.” Dr. Tharoor must apologise immediately. Transphobia cannot be tolerated, especially from elected representatives,” said a Twitter user Anish Gawande.“Hello LGBT community, will you please boycott this man who is saying that eunuchs only want power without responsibility?” said another Twitter user Sonia Sinha.

Tharoor had been attacking Kejriwal since the violence in Jawaharlal Nehru University on January 5, 2020. On Friday, he questioned the Delhi Chief Minister on whose orders he is not standing up for citizens’ rights to protest?

“The police may have been acting (or not) on orders, but who ordered the Delhi CM not to stand up for citizens’ rights to protest? Not to visit the injured? Not to object as campuses in his state became centres of carnage? Not all blame can be so easily deflected,” Tharoor said in a tweet on Friday.

Later, speaking to mediapersons, Tharoor said, “Once during the time of Sheila Dikshit you (Kejriwal) had tweeted that do we want a weak CM, you should go and read that same tweet today.”

Tharoor visited JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia universities on Sunday (January 12) and expressed solidarity with those protesting against the amended citizenship act. Tharoor travelled in Delhi metro to reach JNU where he addressed the students and condemned the violence by a masked mob on January 5.

He also said the December 15 police action against Jami students is a “blot on the nation”.