Last Updated:
Rumours have been rife about Shashi Tharoor’s rift with the party leadership over his recent praise of PM Modi and the Left government in Kerala.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor (PTI Image)
“Go watch the match”, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor told reporters on Sunday while shrugging off media queries on the rumours of a rift between him and the party leadership after his recent praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US, and the Left government in Kerala.
“It’s an important match today,” Tharoor said as he referred to the India-Pakistan match in the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai.
His remarks came while responding to the media questions if all was well between him and the party, “No comments at all,” he responded.
Tharoor sparked controversy within his party after commending both the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led government in Kerala and PM Modi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump.
In a newspaper article published on February 14, Tharoor praised the economic policies of the Kerala government, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. While the Left party welcomed his comments, Congress leaders criticised Tharoor’s stance.
Defending his position, Tharoor emphasised his focus on the positive impact of the growing startup sector in Kerala. He attributed the initial steps of this transformation to former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
He also noted that the controversy surrounding his article had been beneficial, as it sparked a broader discussion on the issue.
Tharoor offered rare praise for PM Modi after Trump described him as a “great leader.” Trump remarked, “He is a much tougher negotiator than me, and he is a much better negotiator than me.”
Referring to Trump’s statement, Tharoor said, “To hear a man like Donald Trump, whose defence secretary called him the greatest negotiator in the world, announcing that the Indian prime minister was a better negotiator than he was, that sounds like something Mr Modi can put in the bank, that sounds very good.”
His remarks on PM Modi sparked strong reactions, prompting Tharoor to clarify that his words were driven by India’s national interest rather than political considerations. “We cannot always speak solely in terms of party interest,” he said.
