Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was selected to lead an all-party diplomatic outreach team on Saturday — sparking debate in the party ranks. The Congress has accused the Narendra Modi-led government of “playing cheap political games on serious national issues” after it rejected all but one of its nominees. The Trivandrum MP however insisted that there was ‘no politics’ in the move — stressing the need for citizens to step up when the nation faced a crisis.
Tharoor also said that everyone had seen the 88-hours-long battle with Pakistan and therefore, “we all need to have a role in what the world is saying about us”. The senior Congress leader also countered claims that the Congress was trying to ‘insult’ him through its response to the announcement.
“You will have to ask them (Congress), “Tharoor told reporters on being asked whether the party had reservations about him leading the delegation.
He explained that he had informed the Congress leadership immediately upon receiving a call from Rijiju inviting him to lead the delegation. Tharoor also said that he was not insulted by the party choosing to share the list of names it had suggested for the delegation.
“I know my worth,” he asserted.
Members of the ruling BJP have also waded into the controversy — with with party leader Shehzad Poonawalla wondering why the Congress had repeatedly. chosen Tharoor as an MP.
“If Congress has become so against Shashi Tharoor, why did they make him MP so many times? Why did they make him MoS External Affairs? When Pakistan is being exposed for its terror connection and nexus, we need to rise above the party politics and we should do politics of national interest…instead of welcoming this move, Congress is again doing petty and petulant politics,” Poonawalla told ANI.
A total of seven groups of MPs have been delegated to go to more than 30 countries, led by a variety of leaders, including Congress’ Shashi Tharoor, NCP-SCP’s Supriya Sule, BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad, DMK’s Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and others. Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Biju Janata Dal from the opposition’s side have sent their MPs to be part of the delegation. NDA allies, including Janata Dal (United), and TDP are also part of the delegations.
(With inputs from agencies)