Ban Boomers From WhatsApp? Shashi Tharoor-Son's Hilarious Banter Is Internet Gold

Published 27 July 2026 · india

Ban Boomers From WhatsApp? Shashi Tharoor-Son's Hilarious Banter Is Internet Gold Published By, Last Updated: July 27, 2026, 13:52 IST The banter began after Zoho

Ban Boomers From WhatsApp? Shashi Tharoor-Son's Hilarious Banter Is Internet Gold Published By, Last Updated: July 27, 2026, 13:52 IST The banter began after Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu argued that young children should stay away from social media and instead spend more time reading books. File photo of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor (PTI) The light-hearted social media exchange between Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and his son Ishaan Tharoor continued with the younger Tharoor joking that his father remained the “number one target" of his proposal to ban “boomers" from WhatsApp. Responding to Shashi Tharoor’s witty comeback to his earlier post, Ishaan Tharoor wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “A) come on, it wasn’t that witty for his standards. B) he’s the number one target of my proposed ban." The banter began after Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu argued that young children should stay away from social media and instead spend more time reading books and playing outdoors.

“I believe young children should read physical books, play in the dirt under the sun and stay away from social media," Vembu had posted on the social media platform. Replying to the post, Ishaan Tharoor said, “I agree young kids should not be on social media at all. But India needs to ban Boomers on WhatsApp first before it does anything else." Shashi Tharoor was quick to respond with his trademark wordplay, saying his son too qualified as a “baby boomer" in the Indian context. “Given our reproductive patterns, my son, unlike in the West, every generation of Indians, including yours, qualifies as [baby]Boomers!" the Congress MP wrote. Ishaan playfully graded his father’s response, saying it “wasn’t that witty" by his usual standards before adding that the veteran parliamentarian was still the chief target of his proposed WhatsApp ban.

The exchange quickly drew reactions from social media users, with many enjoying the father-son humour and Tharoor’s trademark wit. The online banter comes just days after Shashi Tharoor publicly praised Gen Z for its role in the recent nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. Reacting to the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Shashi Tharoor said the episode showed that governments cannot ignore citizens who protest peacefully and persistently. Addressing young Indians, he urged them to “keep making the memes, keep being edgy, keep asking uncomfortable questions, keep calling out hypocrisy, but above all, keep showing up." News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location: Delhi, India, India First Published: July 27, 2026, 13:52 IST News india Ban Boomers From WhatsApp?