Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor did it once again. He made statements that his fellow Congressmen interpreted as “praise” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Simultaneously, he wrote an article praising Kerala’s startup economy, which was perceived as an endorsement of the Pinarayi Vijayan government at the state level.
The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) leadership is not pleased. Their current displeasure gives political observers a sense of déjà vu, as similar incidents have occurred multiple times in the past.
For instance, in 2014, the Congress party removed Shashi Tharoor as its spokesperson after KPCC reprimanded him for “praising” Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At that time, Tharoor stated that he was "honoured" to have been invited by the PM to participate in the Clean India campaign. Following this, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee filed a complaint against Tharoor with the disciplinary committee. Congress President Sonia Gandhi then accepted the recommendation of the AICC disciplinary committee to remove Tharoor from the list of AICC spokespersons with immediate effect.
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In 2018, a similar situation unfolded. Tharoor was once again removed from the spokesperson post after complaints from the Kerala party leadership, alleging that his statements and tweets were perceived as support for Prime Minister Modi’s actions.
Now, once again, the KPCC has acted against Tharoor. The KPCC leadership has already submitted a letter of dissent against him to the AICC High Command. Notably, it appears that more than the alleged “praise” for Modi, it is Tharoor’s perceived praise for the Pinarayi Vijayan government that has provoked KPCC leaders.
Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan strongly responded, questioning the source of Tharoor’s data on Kerala’s MSME growth. “Many Gulf returnees are opening small businesses like shops and bakeries in Kerala. But can such ventures be counted as MSME growth?” Satheesan asked, adding that the party high command should look into the matter.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan mocked Tharoor’s position, calling him a “universal citizen” and remarked that “normal citizens” like himself could not accept the LDF’s policies in Kerala.
In contrast, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan appreciated Tharoor for the article.
Meanwhile, Tharoor is not in the mood to take a step back. He said that his stance remains unchanged and that he would support good initiatives by the governments and acknowledge such efforts. He also mentioned that he is glad people are reading the article.
“The article concludes by stating that investment is necessary for a better future for children. Good initiatives should be recognized beyond political affiliations. If the central or state governments do something positive, it should be acknowledged,” he said. He also claimed that he wrote the article based on facts.
Tharoor also stated that to understand which statistics are being referred to, the opposition leader should read the article. “In matters of foreign affairs, national interests should be prioritized, not political interests,” he said while reiterating that Modi meeting Trump was a recognition for the country. He also mentioned that Kerala being ranked first in industrial friendliness is due to the national ranking, not the ranking given by the CPM. Tharoor also claimed that some Congress members had called him to express support for the article.
It remains to be seen how the AICC will handle Tharoor this time. The KPCC expects some form of action against him and may have already informed the AICC that inaction could demoralize Congress cadres in the state, especially with crucial elections on the horizon.