Tharoor skips Rahul Gandhi-led Congress MPs' meet for 3rd time
What's the story
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor missed a meeting of the party's Lok Sabha lawmakers on Friday. This is the third consecutive time he has skipped such meetings in recent weeks. The meeting was chaired by Rahul Gandhi and attended by 99 MPs to review their performance and strategize against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before Parliament's winter session ends on December 19.
Absence explained
Tharoor's absence and personal commitments
Tharoor, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, was absent from the meeting due to personal commitments. He had earlier informed on social media that he was in Kolkata for his longtime aide John Koshy's wedding and his sister Smita Tharoor's birthday, suggesting that he would not be able to return to Delhi in time for the meeting. Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari also skipped the Friday meeting.
Past meetings
Tharoor's previous absences and controversies
This is not the first time Tharoor has skipped important party meetings. On November 30, he missed a strategy meeting chaired by Sonia Gandhi. At that time, he had said he was on a delayed flight from Kerala with his 90-year-old mother. He also skipped a meeting on November 18 over health issues where Congress leaders discussed opposition to voter re-verification exercise.
Controversial remarks
Tharoor's praise for PM Modi sparks controversy
Tharoor's absence from these meetings has been controversial, especially after he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech at a private event. This led to backlash from Congress leaders Supriya Shrinate and Sandeep Dikshit, with the latter suggesting Tharoor leave if he found Modi impressive. Despite the criticism, Tharoor defended his stance on cross-ideological cooperation in India's federal setup.