‘They are no longer ours’, Congress leader’s statement about Shashi Tharoor created a stir, know

Senior Congress leader K.K. Muralitharan has said a big thing about Shashi Tharoor on Sunday. Criticizing Tharoor, Muralitharan said that the MP of Thiruvananthapuram will not be invited to any Congress program in the state capital until he changes his stand on national security. Former Union Minister Muralitharan also said that Tharoor, a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), is no longer considered “one of us”. He further said that the national leadership of the party will decide what action should be taken against Tharoor.

Warning to Tharoor

Muralitharan, while answering the questions asked about Tharoor’s adamant on national security, said, “Until he (Tharoor) changes his stand, we will not invite him to any party program held in Thiruvananthapuram. He is not with us, so he does not have the question of boycotting any of his programs.” His remarks came a day after Tharoor defended his stance at an event in Kochi. Tharoor had said, “The nation comes first and parties are a medium to improve the country.”

Tharoor had said this

Tharoor said, “Many people are criticizing me due to my attitude to support the armed forces and the central government in connection with what happened recently on the country and its borders. But I will be adamant on my point, because I believe that this is right for the country.” Tharoor further said that when people like him call for cooperation from other parties in the interest of national security, often their own parties consider them to be trustworthy. He further said, “It becomes a big problem.”

Muralitharan had criticized Tharoor earlier also

Muralitharan had targeted him for sharing a survey stating that Tharoor is the most preferred option for the post of Chief Minister from UDF. He had said, “He should first decide which party he is from.”

Muralitharan also criticized him for an article from Tharoor written in a Malayalam daily, in which the MP expressed critical views on the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the Emergency. Reacting to this, Muralitharan said that if Tharoor feels limited within the Congress, they should “choose a clear political path”.

The latest criticism reflects the increasing rift between Tharoor and the party leadership, especially after his statements after the Pahalgam terror attack. Some Congress leaders believe that their comments have forced the party to take a defensive stance.

(Inputs-PTI)