Modi praises India's goalkeeper; Tharoor subtly asks PM to take cue from player to 'protect country'

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted an appreciation post for Narendra Modi saying the prime minister's tweet praising the Indian hockey team in general and a Kerala player in particular had "gladdened the heart of every Keralite".

New Delhi:Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Indian goalkeeper of the Olympic medal winning hockey team, saying, the one who protects the country from attacks is as important as the one who scores goals against the opponents.

It all began with Modi praising the Kerala-born goalkeeper PR Sreejesh for his stellar saves during the all-important match against Germany. ""Bravo @16Sreejesh! Your saves played a big part in earning the medal for India. Congratulations and best wishes to you," Modi tweeted.

Tharoor's response to PM's tweet

Using this opportunity to take a subtle dig at the prime minister, Tharoor, who is known for his word play, said, "He who protects the country’s interests from attack and shields it from vulnerabilities is as important as he who takes the offensive and scores goals against others...."

The Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, however, also thanked Modi for prasing Sreejesh saying, the prime minister's tweet "gladdened the heart of every Keralite".

Sreejesh was born in Kerala's Ernakulam district. He, who is the former captain of the Indian men's hockey team, pulled off a crucial save in the final seconds of Thursday's match, ensuring a medal for India after 41 years.

While many Twitter users liked Tharoor's gesture, a section of the people criticised the Thiruvananthapuram MP. "I don't think he praised him for being a Keralite, but for his performance," wrote one Twitter user. Another user said the Congress MP could only think of Kerala.