Congress MP Tharoor offers ‘quockerwodger’ as alternative to ‘andhbhakts’

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has suggested the English word ‘quockerwodger’, meaning a political puppet, as an alternative to terms like ‘andhbhakts’, ‘godi’ and ‘paid followers’ used by government critics. In a post on X on 4 November, he called it an ‘acceptable alternative’ and shared a screenshot of the definition.

Tharoor, known for popularising unusual English words, first shared ‘quockerwodger’ in September, describing it as the ‘word of our era’ and taking a swipe at the ruling party, which he said had ‘spawned a few of these in the last dozen years’. He had also posted the word in April 2022. Terms such as ‘andhbhakts’ and ‘godi media’ are commonly used by critics to describe BJP supporters and media outlets they say push the government’s narrative.

Tharoor has previously popularised words including ‘allodoxaphobia’, ‘farrago’ and ‘troglodyte’. The Thiruvananthapuram MP’s latest suggestion has drawn attention on social media, but no response from the ruling party has been reported yet.

Update, 4 November 2026: Deccan Chronicle now also reports the story, confirming that Tharoor posted ‘quockerwodger’ as an acceptable alternative to ‘andhbhakts’ and ‘godi’ on 4 November. The outlet reproduces the same details as Times Now and Hindustan Times: Tharoor’s X post, the definition, his September and April 2022 shares, and his earlier words ‘allodoxaphobia’, ‘farrago’ and ‘troglodyte’. No new facts or responses are added.