Samajwadi Party MP Afzal Ansari Criticizes Pro-Tem Speaker Appointment and Shashi Tharoor’s Tweet on Uttar Pradesh

New Delhi [India] June 24: Samajwadi Party MP Afzal Ansari commented on the first session of the Lok Sabha, stating that while there are issues to address, the day is mainly about the oath-taking ceremony and the appointment of the speaker. Ansari criticized the appointment of the pro-tem speaker, suggesting that a senior member would have been a better choice.

Regarding Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s controversial tweet on Uttar Pradesh, Ansari remarked, “Those who mock Uttar Pradesh will face humiliation.” Tharoor’s tweet, which included a Hindi joke defining Uttar Pradesh as a state where exam answers are known beforehand, has attracted significant criticism from BJP leaders.

Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar condemned the tweet, accusing Tharoor of demonstrating a superiority complex. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri expressed disappointment over Tharoor’s stereotyping and trivializing an entire state, highlighting Uttar Pradesh’s contributions to Indian civilization, literature, and politics. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also criticized Tharoor’s recurring satirical comments about various cultures, describing Tharoor’s mind as “adrift in the ethereal mists of derangement.”