#WATCH Shashi Tharoor in Bengaluru, says, "There's an extraordinarily striking metaphor expressed by an unnamed RSS… https://t.co/nOTOQGxyol — ANI (@ANI) 1540713312000

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday kicked up yet another row after quoting an RSS member who had purportedly described PM Modi as a "scorpion sitting on a Shivling".Speaking at an event in Bengaluru, Tharoor said, "There's an extraordinarily striking metaphor expressed by an unnamed RSS source to journalist Vinod Jose, that, 'Modi is like a scorpion sitting on a Shivling, you can't remove him with your hand and you cannot hit it with a chappal either' ... because while removing him with a hand would mean you'd end up getting stung, hitting the Shivaling with a chappal would raise questions on the spiritual tenets you have been practicing for years."The senior Congress leader added, " ... that (the metaphor) may well be a very interesting clue to the rather complex dynamic that exists between the Hindutva movement and the Moditva expression of it."The BJP immediately hit back at Tharoor for his "horrific denunciation" of Lord Shiv, saying that the Congress leader has almost "abused" the sanctity of Shiv Ling and Lord Mahadev."While Rahul Gandhi claims himself to be a Shiv bhakt, one of his small leaders has almost abused the sanctity of Shiv Ling and Lord Mahadev by referring to chappal attack through unnamed sources," Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.Seeking an apology from the Congress president, Prasad said, "Rahul Gandhi, you claim yourself be to a Shiv Bhakt, please reply to this very horrific denunciation of Lord Mahadev by apologizing for what Tharoor has done."Tharoor later said that the comment has been in the public domain for six years and the BJP is making an issue out of an old quote since it has nothing new to offer to the nation.He also posted a link to the article which quotes an RSS leader using the "scorpion on Shivling" metaphor for PM Modi.(With inputs from agencies) Watch Shivling and Chappal jibe: Shashi Tharoor refuses to apologise