Tharoor 'not one of us': Congress leader amid party rift
What's the story
Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan has said that party colleague Shashi Tharoor is no longer considered "one of us." This statement comes amid a growing rift between Tharoor and the Congress party over his stance on national security issues. Muraleedharan announced that Tharoor would not be invited to any party programs in Thiruvananthapuram until he changes his position on these matters.
Political tensions
Muraleedharan's remarks
Muraleedharan's remarks come as the Congress and other members of the INDIA bloc prepare to criticize Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government during the upcoming Monsoon Session. They plan to raise issues such as alleged security lapses in recent terror attacks. The senior Congress leader said Tharoor is not with them, so there's no question of him boycotting an event.
Stance controversy
Tharoor criticized for 'nation 1st' stance
Tharoor, a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), has been criticized for his "nation first" stance. He had earlier supported the armed forces and the central government following the recent Pahalgam terror attack. At a private event in Kochi, he reiterated his stance, saying, "I will stand my ground because I believe this is the right thing for the country," adding that political parties are "only a means to make the country better."
Internal conflict
Calls for cooperation seen as disloyalty within party: Tharoor
Tharoor also said that calls for cooperation with other parties in the national interest are often seen as disloyalty within his own party. Muraleedharan had earlier criticized Tharoor for sharing a survey showing him as the United Democratic Front's preferred choice for chief minister. He had asked Tharoor to decide which party he belongs to.
Political clarity
Tharoor criticized for article on Indira Gandhi
Muraleedharan had also attacked Tharoor for an article criticizing Indira Gandhi over the Emergency that he wrote for a Malayalam daily. He urged Tharoor to choose a clear political path if he feels constrained within Congress. "But if he feels suffocated in the current situation, to the extent that he can no longer continue, then he should relinquish the positions entrusted to him by the party and choose a political path of his liking," he said.