Minister of state for HRD Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday hit back at Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for the attack on his wife Sunanda Pushkar. The minister tweeted that his wife is “priceless” and that Mr Modi needs to be able to love someone to understand that. Mr Tharoor also said his wife was worth a lot more than Mr Modi’s imaginary Rs 50 crore.
“My wife is worth a lot more than your imaginary 50 crores. She is priceless. But you need2be able2love some1 2understand that (sic),” Mr Tharoor tweeted.
Speaking at an election rally in Shimla on Monday, Mr Modi had reportedly taken potshots at Mr Tharoor’s personal life. “Wah kya girlfriend hai. Apne kabhi dekha hai 50 crore ka girlfriend? (What a girlfriend. Have you ever seen a 50-crore girlfriend),” Mr Modi had said, in an apparent reference to Mr Tharoor’s wife.
“There was a Congress leader who was a minister. He was accused of amassing wealth from cricket. He had said in Parliament that he is not connected to the Rs 50 crore in the lady’s name,” the BJP leader had said, alluding to the IPL cricket controversy involving Ms Pushkar in 2010 which led to Mr Tharoor’s resignation as minister of state for external affairs.
“And then girlfriend becomes wife, we learn some time later... The issues are still not settled and he (Mr Tharoor) is now made a minister,” the Gujarat chief minister said.