KOCHI: A day after he met the Latin Catholic Church leaders in Kochi, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who’s on a tour of central Kerala, had a breakfast meeting with Cardinal George Alencherry of Syro-Malabar Church on Monday, in a move that is seen as the Thiruvananthapuram MP’s attempt to reach out to heads of all communities in the state.
Terming the meeting as a courtesy call, Tharoor said general issues were discussed while specific issues such as the Vizhinjam port issue were not discussed with the Cardinal. “The Cardinal had to attend the bishops’ conference (which began in Kochi on Monday) and I had to rush to Thiruvananthapuram,” he said, indicating that it was a brief meeting.
Tharoor was accorded a warm reception on his visit to St Thomas Mount, Kakkanad, by Cardinal Alencherry, who draped him with a ‘ponnada’. The Congress leader was in Kochi on Sunday to take part in the meeting organised by the Christian Service Society, a Latin Catholic Church-backed organisation. “Everyone wants peace in Vizhinjam. Both sides, the protesters and the government, should be ready for a compromise.
Even before the commencement of the agitation I had met the Archbishop and the Bishop and discussed the issue with them. I also met the chief minister and discussed the issue. There are limitations for an MP to intervene in the matter. It is the state government or the Central government that has to act in this regard,” he said.
Replying to a query about the statement of NCP state president P C Chacko welcoming him to the party, Tharoor said, a welcome was required only if he goes to that party. He later attended a function at Morning Star College, Angamaly, and interacted with students.