Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday acknowledged a grammatical mistake in his birthday message for Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a social media user pointed it out.
Tharoor had posted his birthday wishes for Modi on Thursday. In the message, however, he used the phrase “in his 76th birthday” instead of the grammatically correct “on his 76th birthday”.
The error was quickly noticed by users on X, with one person directly pointing out the mistake. The user wrote, “Shashi ji made a grammar mistake !!! even if it is fat finger !!!”
Tharoor responded to the criticism the following day, accepting that the wording was incorrect. “Yea ‘on’ his birthday became ‘in’. This happens all the time alas,” he wrote.
The exchange drew attention because Tharoor is widely known for his command of English and his use of an extensive vocabulary in public communication.
The latest incident also comes weeks after Tharoor faced criticism over his use of the word “drama” while describing the situation surrounding devastating flash floods in Nepal.
Tharoor had written that he travelled to Kathmandu and was initially unaware of the “drama” that had taken place in the hills and caused extensive damage. His choice of the word attracted criticism from some social media users, who questioned whether it was appropriate in the context of a disaster involving deaths and missing people.
One user questioned the wording, while another referred to Tharoor as a “wordsmith” and asked whether the use of “drama” was suitable.
Tharoor later clarified his intended meaning. He explained that the word does not only refer to something theatrical and can also describe a situation or series of events involving conflicting forces.
He said that this was the sense in which he had intended to use the word, while also acknowledging that his choice could be misunderstood.
The two incidents have once again brought attention to Tharoor’s social media posts and his distinctive use of language. While the latest exchange involved a simple grammatical error, Tharoor responded directly rather than disputing the criticism.
The birthday message itself was intended as a greeting for Prime Minister Modi, who turned 76 on September 17. The grammar correction was subsequently acknowledged publicly by Tharoor on X.
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