Thiruvananthapuram is plastered with a poster mentioning the various books published by local Congress party candidate Shashi Tharoor, including one titled ‘Why Am I A Hindu’.
The innocuous poster has got Tharoor into a spot of trouble with the Kerala BJP accusing him of violating the Model Code of Conduct. “The very title of the book and its display on the election poster is an open declaration by the candidate that he is Hindu.
This is a subtle attempt aimed at exploiting Hindu religious sentiments. This is a gross violation of election rules and the Model Code of Conduct. Significantly, the poster was published and publicised after the election notification,” a complaint filed by the state BJP with the Chief Electoral Officer read. The amused Congress MP could not hide his glee. “
This is hilarious! It is not even an election poster, it doesn’t ask anyone to vote for me, and it was issued before I was even declared a candidate. It features covers of several books, of which #WhyIAmAHindu was published in January 2018. ‘‘As against this, the BJP’s communal appeals are everywhere!” he tweeted soon after the controversy erupted.
