KPCC seeks action against Tharoor for praising Modi

Incensed by his praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee decided to seek suitable action by high command against party MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday. The former Union minister reacted sarcastically to the move saying this would mean the state leadership would finally read what he actually wrote instead of oral summaries.

Holding that Tharoor's adulatory statements about Modi had hurt Congress workers' sentiments in Kerala, the KPCC resolved to draw up a report and submit it to the high command.

The decision was taken by a meeting of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, KPCC President V M Sudheeran and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala held at the party state headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram.

“Of late, Tharoor has been praising Modi. This has hurt the sentiments of the Congress and United Democratic Front workers who have put up hard work for his victory in the Lok Sabha polls. We expect the high command will take suitable action in the matter,” Sudheeran said after the meeting.

“Kerala has rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party completely. This is mainly due to the democratic and secular outlook of the people and the hard work of the Congress,” he added.

Reacting to the move against him, Tharoor, who retained his Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat in the polls this year, tweeted he was delighted as the KPCC decision would mean the leaders would read what he had actually written.

“Delighted to learn KPCC is preparing a detailed report. That means they might finally actually read what I wrote instead of oral summaries,” he tweeted.

The Tharoor issue has been dominating the debate in Congress circles and media for the last few days with a section in the party expressing open displeasure at his praising Modi.

Imparting further momentum to concerted attack on him, the party mouthpiece Veekshanam yesterday carried a stinging editorial casting doubts on his loyalty to the Congress when it is through hard times.

On his part, Tharoor had set the record straight by asserting his support to Modi's initiatives like Swachh Bharat did not mean that he was endorsing the ‘Hindutva agenda’ of the BJP and rejected outright the suggestions of him moving closer to the saffron party.

Meanwhile, when his comment was sought on the issue, Chandy said, "What the KPCC president has said is the final word.”