'Nehru is the sole reason why humanity exists': BJP's sarcastic jibe at Tharoor over Chaiwala remark

New Delhi, Nov 14: The BJP on Wednesday hit back at Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's for saying that a chaiwala (tea seller) could become a prime minister becasue of Jawaharlal Nehru. The BJP, in a sarcastic jibe, said do not trivialise Nehru's role, in fact "Nehru is the sole reason why humanity exists".

Speaking about Nehru on the eve of his birth anniversary, Tharoor said it is because of the institutional structure created by Nehru that today a chaiwala (tea seller) can also become India's prime minister. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has himself said several times that he used to sell tea at Vadodara railway station during his childhood.

Tharoor also said that the Modi-led government should not be boasting about India's Mars mission or Mangalyan as it was ISRO that made it possible. And ISRO, Tharoor, said was set up by Nehru.

"Minor correction Dr. Tharoor, Nehru is the sole reason why humanity exists. Don't trivialise his role to mundane matters like making Prime Ministers and all that ;)" the BJP tweeted this morning.

Tharoor had recently drawn flak from the BJP's for saying that PM Modi is like a scorpion sitting on a Shiva Linga.

Tharoor earlier this month mocked Prime Minister Modi and called him a "hero on a white stallion with an upraised sword in his hand".

In September, Tharoor had said that India may become a Hindu Pakistan if Prime Minister Modi is voted back to power in 2019.