Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s recent praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s outreach to the Islamic world has drawn a response from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP stated that Tharoor had finally “spoken the truth” in acknowledging the Prime Minister’s exemplary efforts.
Tharoor’s remarks came during a CNN-News18 conclave on Monday, where he commended PM Modi for his outreach to the Islamic world and credited him for making the G20 a “buzzword.”
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However, he expressed concerns regarding India’s China policy.
Reflecting on the initial years of Modi’s prime ministership, Tharoor noted, “I remember, in the first year of Modi’s prime ministership, he traveled to 27 countries, and not one of those was an Islamic country. I made a fuss about that as a Congress MP. But I am delighted to say what he has done subsequently. His outreach to the Islamic world has been exemplary. In fact, it couldn’t have been better. Our relations with the major Muslim countries have never been better. I am happy to take back my early criticism.”
In response to Tharoor’s unexpected praise, Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP’s IT-cell, stated, “Tharoor, perhaps in a moment of weakness, has finally ‘spoken the truth.'”
This is not the first time Tharoor has acknowledged the government’s achievements under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. Recently, he had praised the Prime Minister for reviving and popularising yoga.
“We should also acknowledge all those who revived and popularised yoga, including our government for internationalising the International Yoga Day through the UN,” Tharoor had previously said.