Congress MP Shashi Tharoor posted a birthday greeting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X on September 17, 2026, but mistakenly wrote "in his 76th birthday" instead of "on his 76th birthday."
Known for his polished command of English, Tharoor’s slip was spotted by users within minutes, sparking a flurry of comments that ranged from playful jabs to jokes about a ‘glitch in the matrix.’
One user wrote, "Shashi ji made a grammar mistake!!! Even if it is fat finger!!!" while another quipped, "Has to be a glitch in the matrix. Now I’m certain we’re living in a simulation."
Tharoor replied the next day, correcting the error: "Yea ‘on’ his birthday became ‘in’. This happens all the time." He also shared the original tweet with the typo in a follow‑up post.
The incident received no official response from the government and was largely treated as a harmless lapse in a public figure’s social media usage.
The quick correction and light‑hearted reactions underscore that even seasoned politicians are not immune to simple mistakes, yet the event did not affect the broader diplomatic rapport between the Congress party and the ruling administration.