NEW DELHI:Congress’ Thirvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor is not unknown to controversy. But on Wednesday he was ticked off in public by Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, for striking a contrarian note in front of the media, by stating that he favoured debate and discussion over disruptions.
Tharoor’s difference of opinion with the Congress party’s set line which is, the government will have to face ‘disruptions’ and protest in Parliament till some of the top BJP Ministers’ resign, obviously embarrassed the Opposition party yet again. So, when the Kerala MP went to collect his “black band’’ from the Congress Parliamentary Party Office on Wednesday as part of its protest plan, he was confronted by none other than Sonia .
“You keep doing this again and again-this (to differ with the party line) has become a habit with view,’’ she reportedly told Tharoor, pointing out his latest misdemeanor.
It was at the CPP meeting on Tuesday that Tharoor struck a contrary note, when he disagreed with the party plan of disrupting Parliament. He said that he would prefer to have discussions and debates to register protest rather than hold up the House proceedings. Sources said “he was allowed to make his point, every one heard him out at the meeting, but that was behind closed doors”.
What upset the Congress chief was when he went out and aired the same views before the media. That is “exactly what Soniaji pointed out today (Wednesday)’’, the source said, adding, it was an informal meeting. Tharoor defended himself by saying that his idea was not to insult the party line but to express his view. Surprisingly, it was Rahul Gandhi, the party’s VP, who came to Tharoor’s rescue and defended his right to expression.