Shashi Tharoor terms as fake news report that suggested he was seeking other political options

Shashi Tharoor accuses newspaper of distorting interview, sparking controversy within Congress in Kerala and raising questions about journalism.

Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and MP Shashi Tharoor has accused a national newspaper of putting a fake spin on a Malayalam podcast he partook of with the daily’s New Delhi-based correspondent last week.

In a five-part post on X, Mr. Tharoor said the newspaper “took an innocuous statement” which said he had multiple options “to spend my time in literary pursuits and made a headline out of it in English that implied I was exploring other political options”.

Mr. Tharoor also denied that he had “decried the absence of a leader in Kerala”. When the controversy broke, Mr. Tharoor said he insisted that the newspaper allow him to examine the video clip of the podcast he had granted for its nascent Malayalam news podcast segment.

“When the video emerged on Wednesday, it was clear that I had said no such thing. A correction has now been belatedly issued by the paper — after all the damage has been done”, he said.

He said the “rest of the media reacted to the headline, and the political class reacted to the media, and I was left dealing with the mess”.

Mr. Tharoor also meditated in the X post about “what protection a public figure had against such flagrantly irresponsible journalism”. The media got days of headlines — but no one spares a thought for the days of abuse, insult, calumny (as well as unexpected support and even adulation) that came my way-all because of things I hadn’t said,” Mr. Tharoor commented.

Nevertheless, Mr. Tharoor averred that the distorted interview had its unintended benefits. “I suddenly discovered what a lot of people really thought of me and learned from others’ speculations about options I hadn’t ever considered exercising. Some people woke up to issues they had been complacent about, and others found reasons to vent their feelings. Suddenly, my place in Indian politics was being discussed — in a few cases enlighteningly and with insight,” he posted.