Now, Shashi Tharoor is hounded by whisky

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After the IPL fiasco, Shashi Tharoor MP, is now hounded by malt whisky. Left organisations have objected to Tharoor’s appearance in an advertisement of Teacher’s, a whisky brand.

The ad, which appeared in the Outlook magazine, shows Tharoor with the Teacher’s Achievement Award instituted by the Beam Global Spirits and Wine, owner of Teacher’s.

Of course, the ad does not egg on tipplers to take one more gulp, it’s more about the awards presented last October.

CPM mouthpiece Deshabhimani on Thursday had a spirited dig at Tharoor urging him to emulate cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar who withdrew from a UB Group advertisement because it attracted criticism. By Thursday evening, the DYFI had floated statements demanding Tharoor to “withdraw’’ from the advertisement. “Abstination is part of India’s tradition. Sachin Tendulkar had distanced himself from such ads following criticism.

A people’s representative should be able to emulate his example.’’ “Alcoholism is a threat to life and society.

It is to be condemned that a people’s representative, who is also a former union minister, is taking the initiative to lead people astray,’’ the DYFI said, demanding an explanation from KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala on the Congress MP’s conduct.

Sources close to Tharoor pointed out that the MP has not endorsed any whisky in any advertisement. The award, in fact, was presented two months ago and the photographs had appeared in the media at that time. Tharoor was awarded in the communication category for his contributions as a writer.

The photograph shows Tharoor with the award. There is no mention of whisky anywhere in it, they said.