Shashi Tharoor
Shashi TharoorShashi Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has once again kicked up controversy with his words. This time, allegedly quoting an "RSS source". Speaking at the Bangalore Literature Festival, he said that the "personality cult" that Modi seems to have developed does not really gel well with many in the RSS.

Tharoor quoted journalist Vinod K Jose of the Caravan, saying that there is an "extraordinarily striking metaphor", in how the RSS showed its "profound frustration with their inability to curb Mr Modi- and the man says 'Mr Modi is a like a Scorpion sitting on a Shivling. You cannot move it with your hand and you cannot hit it with a chappal either'."

This comment drew laughter from applause from the audience at the lit fest, but politicians and others in the "Twitterverse" did not seem too amused by it. Here are a few reactions that Tharoor's comments drew.

NDTV reports that the Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad demanded an apology from the Congress chief. "Shashi Tharoor, who is an accused in a murder case, has attempted to disrespect Lord Shiva. I seek a reply from Rahul Gandhi, who claims to be a bhakt of Lord Shiva, on this horrific denunciation of Hindu gods by a Congress MP. Rahul Gandhi must apologise to all Hindus," he tweeted.

In response to all the criticism, Tharoor himself took to Twitter to make a few clarifications. He went after the media that he claimed was, in his own words, "subserving the BJP's desire for "controversy", when will this "profession"develop any self-respect?" he tweeted. He also said that the quote was not his, but was in the public domain for at least six years now.

At this time, people also started to attack Vinod K Jose on Twitter, demanding he reveals the source behind the quote. 

He also seemed to back up Tharoor in this case, asking people to actually listen to what was said

 Twitter user Sachin dubey seems to have summed up the entire controversy with this stinger: