Russian envoy and Congress MP Manish Tewari in Twitter spat over mysterious Odisha deaths

By Vipin Vijayan | First Published Dec 30, 2022, 11:03 AM IST

The Twitter spat met with divided opinions on the platform. Some questioned Russian envoy Alipov for his impropriety in lashing out at an Indian Member of Parliament. Others slammed the Congress party leader for causing international embarrassment with his utterances.

Lok Sabha Member of Parliament and Congress party leader Manish Tiwari got a rap on his knuckles from Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov over the latter's remarks about the last rites of the two Russian nationals who died under mysterious circumstances while on holiday in Odisha. The duo engaged in a Twitter spat over the deaths.

Also Read: Russian lawmaker dies after fall from hotel window in Odisha; he was President Putin's critic

Tap to resize

Latest Videos

Tap to resize

On December 24, one of the richest Russian MPs, Pavel Antov, died after allegedly falling from a hotel's third floor. That came days after another Russian national, Vladimir Bidenov, died "due to heart attack". The reported cause of death was based on autopsy results.

The Odisha Police had on Thursday received the power of attorney and No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the family members of the Russian nationals for their cremation.

Congress leader Manish Tiwari had taken to Twitter to cast aspersions on the deaths. He tweeted, "Two Christians cremated not buried! Why? Hercule Poirot says burnt bodies tell no tales."

Reacting to the former Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting's post, the Russian envoy said: "We appreciate the investigation efforts by the Indian authorities into the death of two Russian nationals in Odisha. Meanwhile, it would be useful for some Hercule Poirot lovers to learn that cremation in Russia is as customary as burial."

"Idleness is the root of all evil," he further said.

This prompted a comeback from Tewari, who cited the orthodox church convention, which states: "The order of burial which we have at present has been sanctified by ancient custom and, as such, is protected by the sacred canons; On the contrary, cremation of bodies is unacceptable from the Church's point of view."

He signed off the Twitter post, 'Hercule Poirot'.

“The order of burial which we have at present has been sanctified by ancient custom and, as such, is protected by the sacred canons; ….On the contrary, cremation of bodies is unacceptable from the Church's point of view,”https://t.co/CKQByvVG5r

Hercule Poirot https://t.co/n0GmBGJQNM

— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari)

Moments later, the Consulate General of Russia in Kolkata issued a statement that the "nearest relatives of the deceased have clearly expressed their will to have bodies of Vladimir Bydanov and Pavel Antov cremated and their remains (ashes) brought to Russia."

On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the matter was being investigated as per the law. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said there was no need to jump the gun considering that the police probe was continuing.

For more reliable and latest news