‘Malfeasance’: Shashi Tharoor's term for the BJP's preoccupation with Nehru

A social media user asked Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, renowned for his scholarly language, to describe the BJP’s preoccupation with Nehru. Tharoor responded with the word “malfeasance,” which refers to unethical or illegal behaviour by a public figure.

The individual on social media brought up two prior news stories where the BJP criticized Nehru for causing the boundary dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka, as well as for rising prices. However, there has been a surge in discourse surrounding Nehru, particularly after Prime Minister Modi mentioned him in a recent address in the Rajya Sabha.

Malfeasance.

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 12, 2023

The social media user brought attention to instances where the BJP has blamed Nehru for various issues, such as the conflict in Kashmir, the China situation, the border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka, inflation, and the Adani scandal. The individual then posed the question to Shashi Tharoor, “@shashiTharoor, do you have a word for this persistent focus on Nehru?”

During a speech, Prime Minister Modi questioned why members of the Gandhi family do not use the Nehru surname. He stated that if they, the BJP, had previously overlooked mentioning Nehru as the first Prime Minister of the country, they would correct the mistake. However, he expressed confusion as to why anyone from Nehru’s family would shy away from using his surname, asking if there was any reason to be ashamed of it.

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The Prime Minister’s comments sparked a controversy, with the Congress party condemning his statement. The Congress also pointed out that it is not customary in India to use one’s maternal grandfather’s surname.

During the resurgence of the Maharashtra-Karnataka border conflict at the end of last year, Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar pointed the finger at Nehru and the Congress as the cause of the issue.

In 2021, Madhya Pradesh minister Vishvas Sarang held Nehru responsible for the inflation in the economy, claiming that the country’s economic decline was due to mistakes made in a speech given by Nehru at the Red Fort on August 15, 1947.

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Tharoor is known for his eruditeness and his witty replies have left many in splits.

Earlier Twitter user Nishanth Vijayan shared a screenshot of a small experiment he conducted along with a witty caption. He wrote, “I understand that ChatGPT screenshots have become ubiquitous, but this one is truly remarkable. The prompt was: ‘Write a paragraph explaining my absence from work tomorrow due to ‘not feeling the vibes,’ in the style of Shashi Tharoor.”

Hilarious. But I really can’t see myself writing anything so jejune! https://t.co/C7jFjX0tSo

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 16, 2023

The post generated a lot of interest, including from Shashi Tharoor himself who re-shared it on Twitter. In his retweet, he commented, “Hilarious. But I highly doubt that I would ever write something so jejune (immature)!”

In another instance, Twitter user Shah Zahan tagged Shashi Tharoor in a post, seeking his assistance in naming a store that would sell books, stationery, and also serve as an internet cafe. The post read, “Dear @ShashiTharoor Sir, one of my closest friends has completed his MPhil in Political Science and is now opening a shop that will offer both books and stationery as well as serve as an internet cafe in Majuli. He is seeking a unique English name for his shop and I was hoping you could help by suggesting a name?”

Dear @ShashiTharoor Sir, One of my bosom friend after completing his MPhil in Political Science is going to open shop in @Majuli (net cafe,books n stationary items). So he is asking 4 one unique name in English for his shop. May I request u to do favour for searching d name? pic.twitter.com/TtYGanVA5A

— Shah Zahan (@shajahanahmedma) May 23, 2022

Tharoor was gracious enough to provide a suggestion, which quickly gained attention among people. He wrote, “How about ‘WWW: World Wide Words’? It encompasses both books and the internet.”