“He’s Not With Us”: Congress Leader After Shashi Tharoor’s “Loyalty” Remark
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
BJP Jubilant, Congress Silent Over Shashi Tharoor’s “Egg On Face” Comment
BJP’s Sambit Patra said the Congress should learn from Mr Tharoor. The Congress had just weathered a huge row over his praise of Kerala’s LDF government. The party took a conscious decision not to react the Thiruvananthapuram MP’s comments and maintain its focus on Kerala’s ruling LDFgovernment in view of the coming state elections. He had clarified that he was highlighting Kerala’s progress in the start-up sector. He also made it clear that he would pursue his own interests in terms of his writing and lectures if the party did not want him. He reaffirmed his stand and said there was nothing to add.
“Better late than never… The way Shashi Tharoor has admitted, other leaders of Congress should do the same,” senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The BJP’s Sambit Patra said the Congress should learn from Mr Tharoor.
“Shashi Tharoor understands diplomacy, he had been in the UN for a very long time. He has appreciated PM Modi’s stand in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Other leaders of Congress should also learn from Shashi Tharoor instead of Speaking against PM Modi and the nation every time… Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi should come forward and appreciate Shashi Tharoor’s stand,” Mr Patra told reporters.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Kerala BJP chief K Surendran said, “Dear Shashi Tharoor ji, I’ve always admired your candour. Your honesty in saying, ‘I opposed it initially’ and now praising Modiplomacy’s success in Russia-Ukraine is commendable. Unlike your INC peers, you see India’s global rise under PM Narendra Modi is truly a refreshing take”.
The Congress — which warned against out-of-turn comments last month after Mr Tharoor’s praise of certain policies of the CPM in Kerala — has maintained silence.
At a meeting last month, the upset party took a conscious decision not to react the Thiruvananthapuram MP’s comments and maintain its focus on Kerala’s ruling LDF government in view of the coming state elections.
Mr Tharoor – a former Union minister and a four-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram — had clarified that he was highlighting Kerala’s progress in the start-up sector. He also made it clear that he would pursue his own interests in terms of his writing and lectures if the party did not want him.
Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue yesterday, Mr Tharoor had admitted that he had misjudged India’s position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“I am still wiping the egg off my face because I was one of those who criticised India’s position back in February 2022. Three years later, it turns out I was wrong. India now has a Prime Minister who can hug both the President of Ukraine and the President of Russia within two weeks and still be accepted in both places. That means India is in a position to make a difference to lasting peace,” he said.
Questioned about his comments earlier today, Mr Tharoor reaffirmed his stand and said there was nothing to add.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022 and despite the pressure to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin’s move, India had taken a nuanced stand.
“Looking Square In The Eye…”: Shashi Tharoor On PM Modi’s Pak Conflict Speech
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says PM handled conflict between India and Pakistan “extremely well” Praises him for Operation Sindoor and for sending clear message to neighbouring country through his first public address on the strikes a day earlier. PM Modi addressed the nation for the first time since the conflict with the neighbouring country erupted last week. He said operations against Pakistan have only been kept in abeyance and the future will depend on their behaviour. He also said that Pakistan should now realise that “we are not anymore prepared to take all this (terror attacks)”. “I have no doubts that a meticulously planned military operation like this came out of a sophisticated military headquarters,” he said. The Congress leader said he was very pleased to see one of his lines from an article he wrote last week mentioned in the Prime Minister’s speech. “There are people below his (PM Modi’s) level who should be doing that (tackling misinformation)… if there are media organisations that are willing to give us the time and space to be heard,” he added.
“It is certainly always needed (PM address). It is the duty of our Prime Minister to speak to his people from time to time. He does his monthly broadcast, Mann Ki Baat, which is not urgent and critical stuff. It’s more selective in general,” Mr Tharoor told NDTV.
“I think coming on television, looking the nation square in the eye and talking about big issues on top of their minds is always important, whether it was Covid or whether it is war. We needed him to do that. So I am glad he did it,” he added.
On Monday, PM Modi addressed the nation for the first time since the conflict with the neighbouring country erupted last week. He said operations against Pakistan have only been kept in abeyance and the future will depend on their behaviour.
Mr Tharoor, who is a Lok Sabha Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, said the Prime Minister should make similar addresses “every time there is a moment of crisis”.
Lauding Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, the Congress said: “I have no doubts that a meticulously planned operation like this came out of a sophisticated military headquarters. It’s not some random, crazy doing something.”
“The overall crisis was handled extremely well. I have gone on record saying that Operation Sindoor, from the naming to the presentation to the conduct, everything I give full marks to,” Mr Tharoor said.
He also said that Pakistan should now realise that “we are not anymore prepared to take all this (terror attacks)”. “The more you do, the more consequences you are going to face. I think all that messaging was very clear, and the Pakistanis have got that message,” he said.
Operation Sindoor was launched on the intervening night of May 7 and 8 escalated bilateral tensions, since it led to strikes and counter-strikes between the two nations. On Saturday, India and Pakistan reached an agreement to stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea, with effect from 5pm. Pakistan, however, violated the agreement within hours of it coming into effect.
“Pleased To Find My Lines In PM Speech”
Mr Tharoor said he was very pleased to see one of his lines from an article he wrote last week mentioned in the Prime Minister’s speech.
“I was very pleased to see one of my lines that caught the attention of his speech writers because he used this – When I said the Prime Minister had said this is not an era of war and I had added in my Indian Express article two weeks ago, but it is not an era of terrorism either. That line made it to the PM’s speech. So I feel chuffed about that,” he said.
“PM’s Message Was Good, Didn’t Focus On Pak’s Claims”
On the Opposition’s claims that the Prime Minister’s speech wasn’t sufficient and failed to address misinformation by Pakistan, Mr Tharoor said: “I don’t think he particularly addressed the other people’s (Pakistan) narrative at all. He talked about what we were trying to do, what we believe we accomplished and how determined we are in the future. That message is good.”
The global narrative is shaped by various factors, the Congress leader said. “There are people below his (PM Modi’s) level who should be doing that (tackling misinformation)… if there are media organisations that are willing to give us the time and space to be heard, we should leap on to those because we cannot entirely rely on the fact that we issued the right statements from here, (but) are people really hearing them in their own countries, in their own languages, in their own TV stations? These are important issues,” he said.
“Pakistan In Denial Mode”
The Congress leader said “denial is the Pakistani modus operandi”. “Pakistanis are going and telling everybody ‘oh my gosh, we did nothing. They (Indians) were attacking us without any provocation’. And when we say look at Pahalgam, they say we didn’t do Pahalgam, where is the evidence? And indeed in many foreign interviews, badgering us to say where is your evidence,” he said.
“Where was the evidence that Osama Bin Laden was there until they found him. Where was the evidence that they had done 26/11 until Kasab was captured alive. The problem is denial is the Pakistani modus operandi,” he added.
Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden, who had approved the attacks on the US on September 11, 2001, was killed by the US forces in 2011.
Ajmal Kasab, on the other hand, was one of the 10 terrorists who carried out the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The only one to be arrested, he was hanged to death on November 21, 2012.
Mr Tharoor, however, said it is important for India to hunt down the perpetrators of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 tourists – 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen.
“I believe that we still have to go after the individuals who perpetrated Pahalgam; we seem to have identified three out of four of them by name. We have to go after them and get them. Whatever it takes, however long it takes, is something that is indispensable for India’s self-respect to achieve,” he said.
2024 Lok Sabha Election Results LIVE: Shashi Tharoor Becomes 4-Time MP From Thiruvananthapuram After Rajeev Chandrasekhar Concedes
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has won the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat in Kerala for a fourth consecutive time. His rival, the BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar, conceded defeat. “It was a very tight fight till the very end. I am glad that in the end, voters once again decided to repose their faith in me,” he said. In April he questioned the campaign strategy of the ruling Left front, which is an on-paper ally of the Congress-led INDIA bloc but is contesting as a rival in the state. He admitted long-standing variations in political ideologies could mean parties allied in one state may be rivals in another.
“It was a very tight fight till the very end. I must congratulate both Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Pannian Ravindran (the Left candidate) on having fought so well and improving their parties’ performance… I am glad that in the end, voters of Thiruvananthapuram once again decided to repose their faith in me… I look forward to fulfilling their trust and working very hard for this constituency,” he said.
VIDEO | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: “It was a very tight fight till the very end. I must congratulate both Rajeev Chandrashekar and Pannian Ravindran on having fought such a good battle and having improved their parties’ performance so strongly here. I am glad that in the end, the… pic.twitter.com/XUeOTyFfny — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 4, 2024
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Chandrasekhar declared himself “deeply grateful” to the city’s voters and the “many karyakartas (party workers) for your warmth, affection, and support over the campaign of the last 51 days”. “This is not the end of a campaign but the beginning of a new chapter and partnership for all of us and our shared vision for a better tomorrow for Ananthapur(am),” he said.
Mr Tharoor eventually won by 16,077 votes after starting the day trailing to Mr Chandrasekhar.
I received affection and support from so many during my election campaign in #Thiruvanthapuram and im deeply grateful to all.
I am also deeply thankful to my family for their support & underdtanding over last 10 years and these elections #Rajeev4TVM https://t.co/YviYomFUnO — Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳(Modiyude Kutumbam) (@Rajeev_GoI) May 11, 2024
Exit polls had suggested Mr Chandrasekhar will defeat his rival.
In 2009 Mr Tharoor defeated the CPI’s P Ramachandran Nair by nearly one lakh votes, and polled over 14 per cent more. In 2014 he edged the BJP’s O Rajagopal by fewer than 16,000 votes. Five years later the margin was much healthier; Mr Tharoor thumped the BJP’s K Rajasekharan by one lakh votes.
In April Mr Tharoor had questioned the campaign strategy of the ruling Left front, which is an on-paper ally of the Congress-led INDIA bloc but is contesting as a rival in the state. Mr Tharoor admitted long-standing variations in political ideologies could mean parties allied in one state may be rivals in another.
Congress Expels Kalaburagi Leader After His Arrest In Drugs Case
Lingaraj Kanni was arrested by the Maharashtra police last month. Police seized 120 bottles of banned Codeine syrup from his possession. He is said to have political links across the board.
Kanni was arrested by the Maharashtra police last month. He is said to have political links across the board as he was with the BJP a couple of years ago and then changed sides.
The arrest was made while Kanni was allegedly selling narcotic substances in Thane city, sources said.
The police seized 120 bottles of banned Codeine syrup from his possession.
A case has been registered at the Kalyan Police Station under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act, and further investigation is in progress.
“Beautiful Soul Lives Forever”: Shashi Tharoor On Wife’s Death Anniversary
Sunanda Pushkar was found dead in her suite at a five-star hotel in Delhi on January 17, 2014. Mr Tharoor was charged under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to cruelty and abetment to suicide. The Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram was later discharged in the case in 2021.
Sunanda Pushkar, 51, was found dead in her suite at a five-star hotel in Delhi on January 17, 2014.
“Ten years. A beautiful soul lives forever. Om Shanti,” Mr Tharoor wrote on his official X account and posted pictures showing him paying tributes to her.
Ten years.
A beautiful soul lives forever.
Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/lOTIN8qvNN — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 17, 2024
The two reportedly got married in 2010 at a Malayali wedding ceremony at Mr Tharoor’s ancestral home in Kerala’s Elavanchery.
Ms Pushkar was found dead at a luxury hotel in Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014. The couple had been staying in the hotel as Mr Tharoor’s official bungalow was being renovated at the time.
Mr Tharoor was charged under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to cruelty and abetment to suicide. The Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, who strongly denied any involvement in the death, was later discharged in the case in 2021.