No politics behind his tweets: Shashi Tharoor

NEW DELHI: With his tweet "violence linked to BJP rally in Patna" inviting sharp criticism on Facebook and Twitter, Union Minister Shashi Tharoor has clarified that no political comment was intended by his condolence message.

The controversy broke out after the minister posted a comment on Twitter at 6: 12 pm yesterday "Profound condolences to families of the 5 dead, 60 injured in violence linked to BJP rally in Patna. Politics ought to be about ideas."

The tweet led to a war of words on his Twitter and his Facebook accounts, with many expressing outrage. They accused him of "twisting" facts and questioned its appropriateness, though there were some, who said the real meaning of what the minister said needs to be understood.

Sensing that his remarks have not been received well, the Minister of State for HRD, again tweeted at 6:53 pm saying " "Violence linked to BJP rally" does NOT mean "violence caused by BJP rally". Absolutely NO political comment intended by my condolence message."

This is not the first time that Tharoor has landed in a controversy over his tweets.

The minister's tweets had been evoking strong reactions on social websites and had at times stirred political controversies that his party Congress had to distance from his tweets.

While Tharoor has clarified his tweet on the bomb blasts in Patna that took six lives, Congress leader Digvijay Singh also wondered at the coincidence of the blasts happening on a day, when Narendra Modi addressed a rally there.