BJP, Congress clash as Tharoor gets to lead Centre's ‘expose Pak’ mission | Who said what
Shashi Tharoor's appointment to lead an all-party delegation on terrorism has upset Congress, which claims its proposed names were ignored.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor being picked to head one of the all-party delegations Centre plans to send to different countries to expose Pakistan-sponsored terrorism on the world forum has ruffled some feathers in the Grand Old Party, which says the central government did not go with the four names proposed by it for the campaign.
The campaign that has led to a war of words between Congress and BJP comprises seven all-party delegations which will go to key partner countries to convey India's message of zero tolerance against terrorism following Operation Sindoor.
Opposition leaders Shashi Tharoor and Kanimozhi will join members of the ruling alliance, including Ravi Shankar Prasad and Sanjay Jha, in leading the seven all-party delegations.
What Congress said over Tharoor being picked
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said that this is “dishonest on the government's part” as Shashi Tharoor was not among the names of four MPs for the delegations to foreign countries.
Jairam Ramesh asserted on Saturday that the Congress is “not going to change.”
"We were asked for names. We expected that the names we had given would be included. We hoped that the names given by the party would be included. But when we saw the press release of PIB, we were surprised. I cannot say what will happen now. Asking four names, giving four names, and announcing another name is dishonest on the government's part. It is possible that' Mr Rijiju had talked to Rahul ji and Kharge even after the government had made up their mind, but I am giving him the benefit of the doubt. But what happened is dishonest. We are not going to change these four names," ANI news agency quoted Jairam Ramesh.
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He said Rahul Gandhi on Friday wrote a letter to Kiren Rijiju, which read: "Dear Shri Kiren Rijiju, I am writing in follow-up of a conversation with me and Kharge ji regarding the delegation for the Foreign Countries after discussing with Kharge ji I am sending you four names Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Raja Barar and Naseer Hussain".
BJP hits back
Several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders backed Shashi Tharoor and slammed Congress for being “insecure” and “jealous” by someone who “outshines the high command”.
In-charge of BJP's National Information & Technology department, Amit Malviya, said in a post on X, “No one can deny Shashi Tharoor’s eloquence, his long experience as a United Nations official, and his deep insights on matters of foreign policy.”
“So why has the Congress Party — and Rahul Gandhi in particular — chosen not to nominate him for the multi-party delegations being sent abroad to explain India’s position on key issues? Is it insecurity? Jealousy? Or simply intolerance of anyone who outshines the ‘high command’?”
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BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla also on Saturday hit out at the Congress over not proposing the name of Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor for the delegations, saying that the party does not trust its leaders.
He further said that Congress proposed dubious names, including people during whose election slogans of Pakistan Zindabad were raised.
"... Congress does not trust its party leaders. Shashi Tharoor has constantly thwarted Pakistan's narrative and introduced the concept of India First. But the Congress gave priority to its party over the nation and put forward dubious names, including the people, during whose election slogans of Pakistan Zindabad were raised," ANI quoted Poonawalla as saying.
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari also warned the Congress over their objection to central government choosing their senior leader Shashi Tharoor, saying this behaviour is "not going to serve any good."
"Congress's behaviour earlier this operation and their behaviour now, this is not going to serve any good for Congress. It won't be good for the Congress-ruled states either. This is not a subject for politics," Manoj Tiwari was quoted as saying.
