Congress MP and author Shashi Tharoor, often described as an “unofficial English teacher” because of his command of vocabulary and language, found himself at the centre of a light-hearted social media moment after making a small grammatical error in a birthday message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Tharoor had posted birthday greetings for Modi on September 17, wishing him on his 76th birthday. However, his message began with the phrase “Warm greetings to Prime Minister @narendramodi in his 76th birthday”, using “in” instead of “on.” The standard expression is “on his 76th birthday.”
The mistake was quickly noticed by users on X, with some joking about the slip given Tharoor’s reputation for his sophisticated English and extensive vocabulary.
Rather than ignore the comments, Tharoor acknowledged the error himself the following day. Responding to a user who pointed it out, he wrote: “Yea ‘on’ his birthday became ‘in’. This happens all the time alas.”
The response added a humorous touch to what was otherwise a minor typo. Social media users continued to joke about the unusual occurrence, with some describing it as a rare “glitch” from someone widely associated with precise and elaborate English.
Tharoor has previously been described in media coverage as an “unofficial English teacher of the Internet” because of his vocabulary-related posts and his use of unusual English words.
The episode ultimately served as a reminder that even highly accomplished writers and speakers can make the occasional typing or grammar mistake.
