Congress leader Shashi Tharoor issued a clarification on the “scorpion” comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi hours after triggering a controversy which invited a sharp attack from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Tharoor, an MP from Thiruvananthapuram, had earlier today quoted an RSS source’s comment on PM Modi at the Bengaluru Literature Festival.

In a video posted by ANI, Tharoor is heard quoting the RSS functionary.

“There’s an extraordinarily striking metaphor expressed by an unnamed RSS source to a journalist, that, ‘Modi is like a scorpion sitting on a Shivling, you can’t remove him with your hand and you cannot hit it with a chappal either’,” he said.

Read More: Quoting RSS source, Shashi Tharoor says PM Modi like a scorpion on a Shivling

In the midst of a BJP backlash over the remark, Tharoor took to Twitter stating that his quote was from an article published six years ago in The Caravan – a full two years before the then Gujarat Chief Minister’s rise to the country’s top job.

“In view of the unseemly demonisation of an out of context remark today involving a scorpion metaphor, my book #TheParadoxicalPrimeMinister cites & footnotes this article — please see the last paragraph of this article,” tweeted Tharoor with a link to the article.

“This comment (not by me) has been in the public domain for six years,” he said, adding, “RS Prasad making an issue of a 6yr old quote shows how little new the BJP has to offer the nation. As for media subserving the BJP’s desire for “controversy”, when will this “profession” develop any self-respect?”

This comment (not by me) has been in the public domain for six years. RSPrasad making an issue of a 6yr old quote shows how little new the BJP has to offer the nation. As for media subserving the BJP’s desire for “controversy”, when will this “profession”develop any self-respect? https://t.co/RF8xxQLjzq

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 28, 2018

Following the “scorpion” remark, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad reportedly referred to Tharoor as a “small leader” and demanded an apology from Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

“While Rahul Gandhi who claims himself to be a Shiv bhakt, one of his small leaders has almost abused the sanctity of Shiv Linga and Lord Mahadev by referring to chappal attack through named sources,” Prasad was quoted as saying by ANI.

“Rahul Gandhi, you claim yourself be to a Shiv Bhakt please reply to this very horrific denunciation of Lord Mahadev by giving apology to what Tharoor has done,” added the minister.

Giriraj Singh, Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, lashed out at Tharoor for the remark.

“Yeh Hindustan hai, agar Pakistan hota toh #ShashiTharoor ki zubaan ko chupp kar diya gaya hota. Unhone PM ka apmaan nahi kiya, croreon Hinduon aur bhagwan Shiv ko apmanit kiya hai. Main itna hi kahunga ki hadd ki seema paar kar rahi hai ab Congress (This is India. Shashi Tharoor would have been silenced by now if it was Pakistan. He has not only insulted the PM but crores of Hindus and Lord Shiva as well. I would only say that the Congress is now crossing all the boundaries),” Singh was quoted as saying by ANI.