"He Can Explain": Congress Deflects Row Over Shashi Tharoor's Map Blunder, He Apologises

Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh responds to BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya's jibe at Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'

The Congress distanced itself from Shashi Tharoor having used a wrong map of India in his manifesto for the party president poll. Mr Tharoor later apologised and issued corrected versions, saying "no one does such a thing on purpose". The BJP is clearly panicking now that the Bharat Jodo Yatra has entered Karnataka. The “I Troll Cell” (IT Cell) of the BJP will look for any flimsy excuse to target and tarnish the #BharatJodoYatra and @RahulGandhi. Only Dr. Tharoor and his team can explain this egregious error. pic.twitter.com/3GMYj19js3 Re the troll storm on a manifesto map: No one does such things on purpose. A small team of volunteers made a mistake. We rectified it immediately &I apologise unconditionally for the error. Here's the manifesto:English: https://t.co/aKPpji9Z8MHindi: https://t.co/7tnkY9kTiO I have just submitted my nomination papers as a candidate for the presidential election of @incindia. It is a privilege to serve the only party in India with an open democratic process to choose its leader. Greatly appreciate Soniaji's guidance&vision.#ThinkTomorrowThinkTharoorpic.twitter.com/4HM4Xq3XIO

Before the apology, party communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh called the wrong map — parts of Jammu and Kahsmir, and Ladakh, were missing — an "egregious error", putting the onus of explanation on Mr Tharoor and his team. He was responding to a tweet by BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya that juxtaposed Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' (Unite India March) with Mr Tharoor's alleged "dismembering" of the country.

"The 'I Troll Cell' (IT Cell) of the BJP will look for any flimsy excuse to target and tarnish the Bharat Jodo Yatra and Rahul Gandhi," Jairam Ramesh said in his tweet.