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Tharoor’s Modi praise: Congress refers matter to disciplinary panel
With its Kerala unit seeking stern action against former Union minister and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor for repeatedly praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress is said to have referred the matter to the party’s disciplinary committee.
With its Kerala unit seeking stern action against former Union minister and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor for repeatedly praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress is said to have referred the matter to the party’s disciplinary committee.
The three-member committee, comprising senior leaders Motilal Vora, AK Antony and Sushilkumar Shinde, is likely to look into the matter, including Tharoor’s acceptance of Modi’s invitation to join his Swacch Bharat campaign.
This has apparently been done to pacify its Kerala unit, which is up in arms against Tharoor for “repeatedly praising Modi which has hurt the sentiments of Congress workers who had fought against the BJP to elect him”.
Accordingly, the state unit had sent a detailed report to the party high command with a request to take “appropriate action” against Tharoor so he doesn’t repeat it.
Tharoor, however, had the support of party general secretary Digvijaya Singh who found nothing wrong in his accepting Modi’s invite.
By referring the matter to the central disciplinary action committee, Congress sources said the leadership has not only mollified the agitated members from Kerala but also put Tharoor under strict watch. “Any adverse move will prompt strict action,” a senior leader said.
But on the fresh report about his wife Sunanda Pushkar death, the party advocated caution. “Congress’ stand is clear. When a legal process is taking place, you do not comment on every document, every comma and full stop. Every week a new document may come up. When that legal process reaches a conclusion or even a semi conclusion, we will see that time,” party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.
When asked about Union minister Venkaiah Naidu favouring a fresh probe into the case, he said the BJP was trying to get politics into the issue.
