Shashi Tharoor gets death threat SMS

NEW DELHI: Shashi TharoorShashi TharoorShashi Tharoor, Foreign Minister (state) of India received a death threat on SMS on Wednesday, April 14, 2010. The SMS demanded that he immediately apologize to Modi.

The Lalit Modi-Shashi Tharoor slugfest took a dramatic turn with this SMS episode.

Delhi Police, while is investigating the matter has found that a local number of Hari Nagar, Delhi was used to send the SMS. The police is now investigating a gym trainer in Constitution Club. Delhi police is investigating his involvement for SMS sent to Masood Madani and Brinda KaratBrinda KaratBrinda Karat both Members of Parliament (Rajya Sabha). Police suspects that the same man may also be involved in the Tharoor episode.

.The SMS is written in Hindi and signed by Shakeel. The SMS is read as, "Lalit Modi se maafi mangne ko bol nahi to jaan se maar denge. IPL ke taar D company se hai” (Tell Tharoor to apologize to Modi otherwise he will be killed. There is a link between IPL and D-company). D company is named after Dawood IbrahimDawood IbrahimDawood Ibrahim. Security of the minister has been stepped up following the death threat SMS.

Left parties joined hands with BJP in demanding Tharoor’s resignation on Wednesday. Indian National Congress, the ruling party carefully considered the fallout as Parliament reconvenes tomorrow for the Budget Session.

The matter was discussed at a meeting in the residence of Sonia Gandhi, Congress president in the morning. Pranab MukherjeePranab MukherjeePranab Mukherjee, Finance minister of India and senior most Congress leader called Shashi Tharoor to meet him. Tharoor also met defence minister A K Antony late in the evening. Congress bosses were keen to assess whether his role is defendable or not.

Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India said that he would first examine all the facts before deciding on any action. He is now in the US for nuclear summit and the matter will be decided on his return to New Delhi after the nuclear summit.