New Delhi: When questioned about his relationship with the Congress, senior politician Shashi Tharoor remained silent, despite growing rumors of a potential conflict between his party and the Congress MP. Reporters asked MP Tharoor in an interview on Sunday if “all is well” between him and the party. He curtly replied, “No comments at all.”
In an attempt to divert the discussion from politics, Tharoor, a well-known MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, suggested that reporters “go watch the match.” He was referring to the upcoming India-Pakistan ICC Champions Trophy match in Dubai later that day. His refusal to answer the question attracted notice, but his recommendation to concentrate on the game appeared to suggest that he was not interested in getting involved in politics.
Following his recent comments endorsing the Kerala administration of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), Tharoor’s dispute escalated. In an article published in an English daily on February 14, Tharoor praised the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government for its successful management of the state’s economy, particularly its advancements in the startup sector. Several Congress officials sharply criticized his remarks, whereas the Communist Party of India (Marxist) applauded them.
In defense of his comments, Tharoor stated that the purpose of his piece was to draw attention to a particular problem: Kerala’s industrial environment is changing due to the state’s growing startup scene. As a Keralan member of parliament, I authored this piece with a specific focus: how the expansion of the startup sector is changing the industrial environment. I’m proud to say, as a Congress employee, that previous Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was the one who started this transition,” he said.
His admiration for the Labour Party, however, has caused dissension within his own party. According to some Congress officials, his remarks imply an alliance with the party’s political enemies and weaken the party’s stance on Kerala’s governance. However, Tharoor insisted that his piece had generated a significant conversation, which he considered a positive thing.
His remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi also attracted attention. Haroor responded to US President Donald Trump’s statement that the Indian Prime Minister was a “great leader” by expressing his support for Modi.Rump had claimed in his statement that Modi was “a much tougher negotiator” than him. “Odi could certainly take pride in such praise from Trump,” Tharoor responded, referring to Trump as “the greatest negotiator in the world.” “To hear a man like Donald Trump announcing that the Indian prime minister was a better negotiator than he was, that sounds very good,” Tharoor stated.
However, the Congress responded strongly to his complimentary comments about Modi.Later on, Tharoor made it clear that his goal was to speak for India’s national interest rather than party loyalty. In support of his position, Tharoor stated, “We cannot always speak only in terms of party interest.” “I speak in the interest of the country.”
The uproar surrounding Tharoor’s recent remarks has sparked questions about his standing inside the Congress party, but the MP has remained steadfast, opting to emphasize his personal beliefs over following the party line. His choice to stay out of public discussions about his affiliation with the Congressional Party further heightens the curiosity surrounding his potential political path.