Soon after, Twitter users fact-checked Mr. Tharoor, pointing out that India has had a Sikh Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Digital Desk: Shashi Tharoor, Congress leader, has come under fire for his recent tweet about Rishi Sunak, in which he stated that it is "very rare" for a member of a "visible minority" to hold a country's "most powerful office," and questioned whether it could happen here.
The 42-year-old Indian-origin leader will be sworn in as Britain's new Prime Minister today, one day after the ruling Conservatives elected him as their leader, paving the way for him to No. 10 Downing Street.
After former Prime Minister Boris Johnson dropped out of the race in the aftermath of Liz Truss' resignation after only 45 days in office, Rishi Sunak emerged as the frontrunner for the top job.
Mr. Tharoor tweeted shortly before it became clear that rival Penny Mordaunt does not have enough Tory MP votes and that Rishi Sunak will be the next UK Prime Minister, "If this occurs, I believe we will all have to acknowledge that the British have done something very unusual in the world by putting a member of a visible minority in the most powerful position. As we Indians celebrate the ascension of @RishiSunak, we must ask ourselves, "Can it happen here?"
Soon after, Twitter users fact-checked Mr. Tharoor, pointing out that India has had a Sikh Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Some users lambasted the Thiruvananthapuram MP for making the remark despite serving as a minister in Dr. Singh's cabinet. Others pointed out that India has had Muslim presidents and that Droupadi Murmu, a tribal woman, is the current head of state.
Continue Reading
