Shashi Tharoor's "British Museum" Dig After Indian Man's Bike Stolen In UK

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has taken a signature swipe at the UK after a Mumbai influencer's bike was stolen in Nottingham, England. Responding to a social media post asking him to respond to the bike theft, Mr Tharoor posted on X, "They're learning from the British Museum!" The Congress leader and former diplomat, who has often won cheers for his epic takedowns of the British Raj, was referring to the huge collection of Indian artifacts in the British Museum in London.

Mr Tharoor has often won praise for his articulation of British depradations in India during the colonial rule. One of these speeches in the 2015 Oxford Union debate had gone viral. The Congress leader, known for his gift of the gab, had famously said during his stellar speech: "No wonder the sun never set on the British Empire, because even God couldn't trust the English in the dark."

Mumbai-based Yogesh Alekari, 33, started a solo world tour on his KTM bike in May. After covering 24,000 kilometres and 17 countries, he reached the UK, and his next stop was Africa. But his adventurous journey came to a halt on August 28 when his bike was stolen in Nottingham. The biker also lost his passport, money, and some documents that he kept on the two-wheeler.

They're learning from the British Museum! https://t.co/6uAIFgww4r

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 4, 2025

"I was in Nottingham for a biker event and was about to head to Oxford. I stopped and parked my bike at Wollaton Park. I locked the bike up, and it was a busy area with children playing, so I thought it seemed like a safe place. I crossed the road and went to have breakfast, but within an hour, I came back and everything was just gone," he told the BBC.

The biker then sought help from his followers in finding his bike and passport so that he could resume the journey or return home. Mr Alekari has over 1,80,000 followers on Instagram and over 16,000 on Facebook. "I was totally shocked. I just broke down and started crying when I realised what had happened. They stole my motorcycle, but this wasn't only a motorbike - it was my home, it was my dream, it was my everything as a traveller," he said.

Local police have said they have yet to locate the stolen motorcycle.