Why Shashi Tharoor is getting “condolences calls” today

By: TK Sreeraj |
December 4, 2017 8:22 pm

In a major goof-up, news channel Times Now mistakenly declared Congress leader Shashi Tharoor dead. In a tweet which was a tribute to veteran Bollywood actor Shashi Kapoor who died on Monday, the channel wrote ‘Shashi Tharoor’ instead of Kapoor.

Here’s the screenshot of the tweet which was later removed:

Screenshot of the Times Now tweet which was later removed

But people were quick to spot the blunder:

@TimesNow Why god why……. Kya foonk ke bethe ho bhai..???? @ShashiTharoor pic.twitter.com/LaYsg4bkRR

— Nishant Singh (@thehungrytide) December 4, 2017

An intern somewhere is screaming: “DAMN AUTOCORRECT! We talk about Tharoor too maach”

— Meghnad (@Memeghnad) December 4, 2017

Major goof up. God bless the one who made this faux pas

— Siddhi Gaharwar (@siddhi_ANI) December 4, 2017

Even Shashi Tharoor himself took notice of it:

We’re getting condolence calls in the office! Reports of my demise are, if not exaggerated, at least premature. @TimesNow #ShashiKapoor https://t.co/nbtZGcdQTa

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 4, 2017

And so did former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah:

As much as some of these channels dislike me they’ve never killed me off. You have a unique distinction here Shashi

Times Now apologised for the ‘typographical error’:

We apologize for the typographical error on our end. @ShashiTharoor we wish you good health.

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) December 4, 2017

However, Tweeps were in no mood to let it go and Times Now ended up enduring a whole lot of sarcasm.

Send me a sample of whatever you were smoking in your studio.

— Rituraj (@rb_twit) December 4, 2017

Typographical error… All your sensational debates are yeoman errors.. Your channel itself is the biggest error society has experienced… Get well soon.. You people need medical help.. @TimesNow

— DR.MAHESH CP (@DRMAHESHCP1) December 4, 2017

Typo or wishful reportage ?

— Sasidharan Pazhoor (@inquestioner) December 4, 2017

Such a carelessness is laughable. I wish your channel good health after this.

— Prashasti Karlekar (@_PUNeera) December 4, 2017