Shashi Tharoor tweets Sumitra Mahajan passes away; BJP says former LS speaker ‘absolutely fine’

New Delhi: Sumitra Mahajan is “absolutely fine”, informed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after Congress leader Shashi Tharoor mistakenly sent out a condolence message for the family of the former Lok Sabha speaker.

In a tweet late on Thursday night, Tharoor said: “Saddened to learn of the passing of former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Majahan.”

“I remember many positive interactions with her, including when she and the late Sushma Swaraj asked me to lead a Parliamentary delegation to BRICS in MOSCOW. My condolences to her family and prayers: Om Shanti!” he added.

Reacting to the tweet of the Congress MP, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya clarified that Mahajan is “absolutely fine”. “Tai ekdum swasth hai. Bhagwan unhe lambi umar de (She is absolutely fine. May God bless her with a long life).”

In turn, Tharoor thanked Vijayvargiya for issuing a clarification in this regard.

ताई एक दम स्वस्थ है । भगवान उन्हें लम्बी उमर दे । https://t.co/bQQMp9BqUv

— Kailash Vijayvargiya (@KailashOnline) April 22, 2021

“Thanks Kailash Vijayvargiya. I have deleted my tweet. I wonder what motivates people to invent and spread such evil news that takes in people. My best wishes for Sumitra ji’s health and long life,” said Tharoor.

I am relieved if that is so. I received this from what I thought was a reliable source: “पूर्व लोकसभा अध्यक्ष श्रीमती सुमित्रा महाजन जी हमारे बीच नहीं रहीं.
ईश्वर दिवंगत आत्मा को अपने श्रीचरणों में स्थान दें.?” Happy to retract & appalled that anyone would make up such news. https://t.co/3c8pDGaBRv

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 22, 2021

Mahajan herself was shocked when she got to know that news about her death was circulated on social media without any confirmation.

“Media should not publish such news without any confirmation. They should have confirmed with the Indore administration before putting out such news on Twitter,” said the former Lok Sabha speaker.

“I started receiving many calls from my relatives asking about my health,” he added.

How could news channels run a report on my so called demise without even cross checking with the Indore administration? My niece refuted Mr. Tharoor on Twitter but what was the urgency in announcing without confirmation?: Sumitra Mahajan, former Lok Sabha speaker (File photo) pic.twitter.com/eE6mv15rly

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2021

Mahajan, 78, served as the Lok Sabha speaker from 2014 to 2019. The BJP MP represented the Indore constituency from 1989 to 2019 as the longest-serving woman member of Parliament and then retired from electoral politics.

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मेरी मां सुमित्रा महाजन बिल्कुल स्वस्थ हैं – मंदार महाजन
| #ShashiTharoor @S_MahajanLS |
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— Newsroom Post (@NewsroomPostCom) April 23, 2021