‘Civility rare in Indian politics,’ says injured Tharoor after Sitharaman visits him in hospital

Updated: Tuesday, April 16, 2019, 11:58 [IST]

New Delhi, Apr 16: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday visited Thiruvananthapuram MP and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who was admitted in a hospital on Monday after sustaining head injury while performing 'thulabharam' ritual at a temple.

‘Civility rare in Indian politics,’ says injured Tharoor after Sitharaman visits him in hospital — Image Courtesy: @ShashiTharoor

Taking to Twitter, Tharoor tweeted,''Touched by the gesture of Nirmala Sitharaman, who dropped by today morning to visit me in the hospital, amid her hectic electioneering in Kerala. Civility is a rare virtue in Indian politics - great to see her practice it by example.''

Tharoor was injured while making an offering at a temple on the occasion of Vishu. The offering, 'Thulabharam', requires a person to weigh himself on a weighing scale.

Tharoor had sustained multiple injuries on his head. He also suffered a minor leg injury after the hook of the weighing scale came off and hit his head, party sources said.

Monday being the Malayalam new year day ('Vishu'), Tharoor performed the ritual at a temple in the morning before embarking on his poll campaign.

He was accompanied by his family members and party leaders and workers including MLA, V S Sivakumar. While he was sitting on one of the pans of the weighing scale, the hook came off and fell on his head.

Tharoor, 63, got eight stitches in his head and has also suffered a minor leg injury. Shortly after receiving treatment, Tharoor posted a tweet saying that a heavy iron hook fell on his head but he is out of danger.

Tharoor also thanked his LDF rival C Divakaran who called him on Tuesday morning to know about his health condition.

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Thulabharam is an offering made at some of the prominent temples in Kerala where you weigh yourself on a giant weighing balance.

Notably, when the accident took place, Sitharaman was busy with a roadshow at Kerala along with BJP candidate Kummanam Rajasekharan who is contesting against Tharoor from the Thiruvananthapuram parliamentary seat. The other person who is contesting from this seat is ruling LDF candidate C Divakaran (CPI).