KOCHI: As the controversy surrounding the article written by Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor continues to simmer with senior leaders lambasting him for praising the Left government, the general feeling within the Congress is that the controversy was unfortunate and disappointing. As a senior leader of the Congress put it, leaders went overboard without reading or digesting the arguments put forth by Shashi Tharoor.
The general feeling in the party is that Congress leaders should shed arrogance and be patient to divergent views within the party. “Shashi Tharoor is not just another leader of the party. He is an intellectual and has influence beyond the party network. People take his opinion serious and even the political enemies cannot ignore them. It is better for the Congress to ignore the row as the AICC leadership and KPCC president have set it to rest. It is an election year and we should be cautious while airing our opinion,” said a senior leader.
“Some leaders reacted without understanding the article. The belief that the role of Opposition is to blindly oppose the government is outdated. The youth in the state want opportunities and as responsible politicians we should stand with them. We should support positive steps and should act as a corrective force pointing out the government’s flaws,” said a Youth Congress leader.
The article analyses the startup ecosystem in Kerala and the welcome change in fostering business environment in the state. Tharoor suggests to adopt an investor protection act so that investors can be assured that their capital is safe. He also advises that Kerala will have to update laws, slash regulations and streamline government processes for Rajeeve’s claim of sanction in two minutes to become true.
He also comments that the attitude of Communists only holds when they are in power and that they will return to their bad old ways if they lose the next state elections.
A senior leader close to the Opposition leader said the issue was over and there was no need to debate over it.