Shashi Tharoor talks to Manushi Chillar to ‘make up’ for ‘misfire’ on Twitter

Days after facing flak over his tweet on Manushi Chillar, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday had a phone conversation with the Miss World. Taking to Twitter, Tharoor said that he “had a wonderful phone conversation” with Manushi “to make up for the scheduling misfire on our on-air encounter”.

Tharoor addressed the beauty queen as a smart and articulate woman who cares about issues that really matter to Indian women.

He tweeted, “Had a wonderful phone conversation with @ManushiChhillar to make up for the scheduling misfire on our on-air encounter. She is a smart, articulate woman who cares about issues that really matter to Indian women. We should all help her fulfil her dreams.”

Had a wonderful phone conversation with @ManushiChhillar to make up for the scheduling misfire on our on-air encounter. She is a smart, articulate woman who cares about issues that really matter to Indian women. We should all help her fulfil her dreams. #MissWorld2017 https://t.co/Ni0GRT30sH — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 30, 2017

Soon after Manushi was crowned Miss World, the Congress leader had posted a tweet using her last name Chillar to attack the Narendra Modi government over demonetisation.

He had tweeted, "What a mistake to demonetise our currency. BJP should have realised that Indian cash dominates the globe: look, even our Chhillar has become Miss World," the Thiruvananthapuram MP wrote on micro-blogging site, apparently punning on the word 'chillar', which in Hindi means 'loose change'.”

What a mistake to demonetise our currency! BJP should have realised that Indian cash dominates the globe: look, even our Chhillar has become Miss World! — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 19, 2017

While the opposition and twitterati lashed out at Tharoor over his tweet, the Miss World had herself reacted with a tweet referring to his post as “chillar talk”.

She had tweeted, “A girl who has just won the World isn’t going to be upset over a tongue-in-cheek remark. ‘Chillar’ talk is just small change - let’s not forget the ‘chill’ within Chhillar  @ShashiTharoor (sic).”

The National Commission for Women had also issued a summon to Tharoor over his 'derogatory' remark. It also demanded that he should apologise for allegedly degrading the achievement of Chhillar.

"NCW India will summon Shashi Tharoor to commission on his derogatory and degrading tweet on our pride Manushi Chhillar. She got fame and name to the country by winning Miss World crown," the commission had tweeted.

@NCWIndia will summon @ShashiTharoor to commission on his derogatory and degrading tweet on our pride @ManushiChhillar She got fame and name to country by winning #MissWorld crown — NCW (@NCWIndia) November 19, 2017

Tharoor had, however, promptly issued an apology, saying, "Guess the pun IS the lowest form of humour, & the bilingual pun lower still!

“Apologies to the many who seem to have been righteously offended by a light-hearted tweet today. Certainly no offence was meant to a bright young girl whose answer i've separately praised. Please: Chill!."

Manushi Chhillar won the beauty crown for India after a gap of 16 years.