Indian parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor from the Congress party has threatened legal repercussions against an India-made English-teaching app called "Blackboard Radio" after it used his name and image to promote its platform.
Capitalising on Tharoor's impeccable speaking skills and command of the English language, the Blackboard Radio app claimed in its ads that people using the platform would become as fluent in English as the Congress parliamentarian.
Tharoor shared a screenshot of the app's advertisement on Twitter that flashed its tagline - "Speak English as fluently as Shashi Tharoor". In the caption, Tharoor also blamed the app for misleading students by using his name.
Netizens commenting on the parliamentarian's tweet, however, noted that nowhere does the app claim that Tharoor "endorsed" it. Users also advised Tharoor to "take it as a compliment" rather than getting angry.
Some, however, did support Tharoor's position and shared their experiences of being fooled by other app advertisements.
Born in London, UK, and raised in India, Tharoor graduated from St. Stephen's College, Delhi in 1975 and completed his education in 1978 with a doctorate in International Relations and Affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University in Massachusetts, US.
Tharoor's English is fluent, articulated with exemplary words and spoken with a touch of a British accent.