How does it feel, Shashi Tharoor, when you're not 'allowed' to enter a temple?
Karma is a ...
Well, you know what.
And it was karma that came back to haunt Congress leader and ‘liberal intellectual' Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday, January 15, when he was reportedly stopped from entering the centuries-old Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, which is located in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram — Tharoor’s Parliamentary constituency.
Received PrimeMinister @narendramodi at the SreePadmanabhaSwamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram for the unveiling of a plaque of the Swadesh Darshan project. But when the local MP,MLA&Mayor were to enter the temple w/him for darshan, we learned that @PMOIndia had cut us from d list. pic.twitter.com/mactAJZZgK
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 15, 2019
The Congress leader has alleged that he and other local leaders were not allowed to enter the temple during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kerala on Tuesday.
He has accused the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) of striking their names from the list of people allowed in the temple when the PM was there.
A worshipper kept away from offering prayers before the deity he believes in is as cruel as it gets — but that worshipper being Shashi Tharoor, a man who believes that women trying to enter the Sabarimala shrine are only indulging in ‘deliberate provocation’, is as ironical as it gets.
“If we are creating out of taxpayers’ money, a national programme around the temple, everyone should have been allowed to participate,” Tharoor told NDTV after he was allegedly not allowed to enter the said temple.
It is baffling how Tharoor apparently doesn’t know that many women in India too pay taxes honestly and sincerely, like we believe he does. They have an equal right to entry to all such places where men are allowed free access. Those who can’t afford to pay taxes should also be allowed entry into temples.
There is another thing that Tharoor deliberately fails to understand — because an intelligent man like him would be able understand (if he tries to) — that the Prime Minister of this country enjoys special security cover. So, when PMs and Presidents go to public places, access for others is blocked, only to ensure that no untoward security lapse happens.
If Mr Tharoor would have been a little patient, he could have offered his prayers, once Modi had left.
In contrast, many women are being forced to stay outside the Sabarimala shrine, despite the Supreme Court calling this unconstitutional. They have waited for years peacefully and earned their right to enter, recognised by none other than the highest court of the land.
Men such as Tharoor are still blocking their entry — while they champion their own cause to enter any temple at any time they want, security protocols notwithstanding.
Tharoor has accused the BJP of 'using God' to serve political purposes and not letting members of other parties to worship in the PM's presence.
It seems that under the BJP even God must serve a political purpose & members of other parties must not be allowed to worship in the Prime ministerial presence! https://t.co/OuxbyxRdAb
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 15, 2019
Tharoor must answer — how does he not stand accused of the same by using the Sabarimala issue to appeal to tradionalists and misognysts?
The blocking of Tharoor’s entry could be a political move — but how can Tharoor raise his voice against the ‘injustice’ without realising his duplicity on the matter?
Now that Tharoor is in the shoes of a devotee wanting to offer prayers to the deity s/he believes in, will he change his own stance?
We understand your pain, Mr Tharoor — do you understand ours?