'O Mitron' More Dangerous Than Omicron: Tharoor Slams PM Modi for Polarisation

The Congress leader expressed his concern over increased polarisation and promotion of hatred and bigotry.

Congress Leader Shashi Tharoor.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

In a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, 31 December, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, "Far more dangerous than Omicron is 'O Mitron'."

Expounding on his assertion, he cited increased polarisation, promotion of hatred and bigotry across the country as the cause for the danger, and wrote on Twitter:

The attack was ostensibly aimed at Modi's administration, as 'Mitron', the Hindi word for 'friends' is associated with the PM, who has begun his speeches by addressing the crowd as such on several occasions.

The Congress leader has repeatedly attacked the BJP government for its divisive and polarising rhetoric.

Two days before his swipe at Modi, the Congress MP had brought Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath under fire and said, "you don't know how much damage you have caused to the country", and hash-tagged 'Inclusive India'.

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla reacted to Tharoor's comment and shot back, "Can Congress keep pandemic above politics?"

Taking to Twitter, the leader stated, "First Congress spread vaccine hesitancy and now it says Omicron isn’t dangerous, at the beginning of COVID-19 Akhilesh said CAA is more dangerous than COVID. Do these people have no sense of responsibility?"