Shashi Tharoor was speaking at an event to relaunch his book ‘Nehru-The invention of India’. (File) Shashi Tharoor was speaking at an event to relaunch his book ‘Nehru-The invention of India’. (File)

A day after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor remarked that it was because of Jawaharlal Nehru that a chaiwala (tea-seller) — read Narendra Modi — could also become India’s prime minister, a stung BJP sent out a tweet dripping with sarcasm.

Saying that Nehru was the sole reason behind the existence of humanity, the ruling party’s official handle Wednesday said Tharoor should not “trivialise” the former PM’s role.

“Minor correction Dr Tharoor, Nehru is the sole reason why humanity exists. Don’t trivialise his role to mundane matters like making Prime Ministers and all that,” BJP tweeted.

Minor correction Dr. Tharoor, Nehru is the sole reason why humanity exists. Don’t trivialise his role to mundane matters like making Prime Ministers and all that ;) pic.twitter.com/bRR7JO9XuC — BJP (@BJP4India) November 14, 2018

Speaking at an event to relaunch his book ‘Nehru-The invention of India’ on the eve of the former PM’s birth anniversary, Tharoor had said because of the institutional structure created by Nehru, today a chaiwala (tea seller) could also become India’s prime minister.

“If today we have a chaiwala as prime minister, it is because Nehru ji made it possible to create the institutional structures through which any Indian can aspire to rise to the highest office in the land,” he said. Hitting out at the government, Tharoor further said there was a consorted campaign to undermine the legacy of Nehru.

“We’ve seen a consorted campaign of vilification, of calumny, astonishing amount of lies that are out there on the internet. Why is there this desire to undermine such a great son of India (Nehru), somebody who laid the foundations for what we have created?” he said.

Continuing his tirade against the government at the event, which was also attended by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Tharoor said the government was able to boast about Mangalyaan because the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was set up by Nehru.

“If today the government can boast about Mangalyaan, ask who created ISRO. Who decided that even poor India could dare to aim for the skies? Who created the IITs that sent so many bright young men to Silicon Valley that 40 per cent of the startups there are helmed by Indians?” he said.

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