Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s gesture of gifting a Russian-language Bhagavad Gita to President Vladimir Putin, calling it an appropriate cultural exchange rooted in India’s civilisational heritage. Tharoor also backed Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s remarks on introducing India’s epics into school education, saying that studying the Mahabharata, Ramayana and the Gita enriches a child’s understanding of Indian civilisation.
“Speaking in Bengaluru, Tharoor framed the issue as one of cultural and educational enrichment, not religious imposition. He recounted his own literary engagement with the epics, stating, “When I published The Great Indian Novel in 1989, which was a satirical retelling of the Mahabharata, I already made the point that because we’re studying in English medium doesn’t mean we should not know our epics.”
Addressing the specific controversies, he clarified, “I think there’s no problem in reading, in our school days the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and so on, and the Gita is very much a part of our ancient civilisation and history.”
On the PM’s gift to Putin, Tharoor said, “To give it in Russian means conveying to another culture some of the essential lessons that we have learned… It’s not an attempt to convert Mr Putin to Hinduism. It’s a way of just showing him something that he can understand in his language. It’s a fine gesture because it reflects what we are.”
#WATCH | Bengaluru: On PM Modi gifting Bhagavad Gita to President Putin and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s tweet regarding the inclusion of the Bhagavad Gita in school education, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, “When I published The Great Indian novel in 1989, which was a… pic.twitter.com/sTWZ9p70rT
— ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2025
However, while Tharoor openly defended the value of the Gita and India’s epics, one of DMK’s most-amplified commentators provoked widespread anger on social media.
R.S. Nilakantan, better known by his online alias Puram, responded to the same development by posting: “The Mahabharata is a shitty epic. The Russians are probably laughing at its lack of sophistication.”
His remark has reignited debate about the ideological ecosystem surrounding the DMK, where several figures have routinely mocked Hindu scriptures and symbols despite holding influence in political discourse and state-aligned media spaces.
Who Is Nilakantan RS (‘Puram’)?
Nilakantan RS is a polarizing figure whose rhetoric frequently targets Indian national symbols, communities, and leadership. His commentary includes:
Caste Hatred: In 2015, he called for violence against upper castes, tweeting, “If everyone picked up a gun and shot the nearest upper caste person, they’d be doing society a favor.”
Anti-National Sentiments: He has advocated for India’s military defeat by China to cure “ugly jingoism” and made derogatory remarks about the Indian Army.
Extreme Rhetoric: His posts have included calls for the assassination of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the bombing of North Indians.
Misogyny: In a previous online avatar as ‘Nilu’, he was associated with deeply misogynistic and perverse blog posts.
Despite this record, Nilakantan has been courted by sections of the political and media establishment. He has written for outlets like The Wire and The Caravan, been hosted on podcasts by The News Minute’s Dhanya Rajendran, and was publicly endorsed by DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan, who promoted his book South Vs North: India’s Great Divide.
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