Don't Forget Chill in Chhillar: Manushi Comes to Shashi Tharoor's Rescue

New Delhi: He got the trolls on Twitter all worked up, even an apology failed to prevent a summons from the National Commission for Women. But now Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has got some backing from Manushi Chhillar, whose win at the Miss World pageant he was accused to have disparaged.

"A girl who has just won the world isn't going to be upset over a tongue-in-cheek remark. 'Chillar' talk is just small change- Let's not forget the 'Chill' within Chhillar," she tweeted Monday morning in response to the online outrage against Tharoor.

Her wordplay with Chill, Chhillar, Chillar and small change — the same ones used by Tharoor in his two ill-fated tweets — was a clear signal that she was cool with the senior politician's puns. And maybe even better at it than him.

Tharoor's tongue-in-cheek comment on Manushi Chhillar winning the title was originally meant against the Centre. “What a mistake to demonetise our currency! BJP should have realised that Indian cash dominates the globe: look, even our Chhillar has become Miss World!” he tweeted, equating Chhillar with its literal meaning – coins.

It kicked up a storm and the NCW sent him a summons calling it "derogatory and degrading." Tharoor then posted an apology but the word "chill" in it made the Commission feel it was not "properly" done.

“He hasn't hit below the belt only the girl but also the nation, because she got fame and name to the nation," NCW chief Rekha Sharma said.

Chhillar's tweet has now clarified what she thought of Tharoor's wordplay — "small change". The Congress MP's reaction was not immediately known but at least many others on Twitter were thinking aloud it's no wonder she won the world.