Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday said his stand on certain issues may have been portrayed as pro-BJP by sections of the media, but he considers his views to be pro-government or pro-India, not partisan.
Tharoor said he has consistently maintained that on some international and national security matters, he prefers to speak for the country rather than indulge in political positioning. “This is not new. I have always said so,” the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram told reporters.
A controversy had erupted last year over Tharoor’s remarks on the India-Pakistan situation and India’s diplomatic outreach following the Pahalgam attack, with his views differing from the official Congress line. Several party leaders had questioned his intentions at the time.
Addressing the issue, Tharoor acknowledged that party members are expected to adhere to the party’s stance but underlined that he has never gone against the Congress in Parliament. “I have always stood with the party in Parliament, so there is no cause for concern,” he said.
Responding to speculation about his future in the party, Tharoor firmly ruled out any exit. “I am going to be in the Congress. I am not going anywhere. I will be part of the poll campaign in Kerala and will work for the victory of the United Democratic Front,” he said, while questioning why such clarifications were repeatedly being sought.
On Thursday, Tharoor met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi to discuss his concerns, after which he said that “all is good” and that everyone was “on the same page”.
The meeting came amid reports of Tharoor being unhappy over his treatment at a recent event in Kochi and alleged attempts by some leaders to sideline him in Kerala. The developments assume significance as the Congress gears up for the Kerala Assembly elections, which are seen as crucial for the party’s bid to reclaim power in the state after a decade in opposition.
