THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after making peace with the Congress high command, Shashi Tharoor showered praises on Rahul Gandhi, terming him “sincere” and “a strong voice against communalism”.
Tharoor and the party top leadership mended fences at a closed-door meeting with Rahul and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi on Thursday.
A visibly relieved Congress state leadership rolled out a warm welcome for Tharoor at Indira Bhavan on Friday. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan pitched the Thiruvananthapuram MP as a key campaign face for the UDF in the upcoming assembly polls.
“I can assure you that I am part of the Congress party and that I am not going anywhere. I will be part of the poll campaign and will work for the victory of the UDF,” Tharoor told reporters.
“But, why is it that I am being asked to make such statements?” he wondered.
Tharoor clarified that his stand on certain issues may have been portrayed by the media as pro-BJP, but he viewed it as pro-government and pro-India.
Asserting that Rahul consistently speaks against communalism, hatred and divisiveness, Tharoor said he has no differing view and has never endorsed unfair criticism of him.
Responding to questions on his remarks backing the Modi government during India-Pakistan tensions, Tharoor said he speaks from a national, not political, perspective on some foreign policy issues.
“It is not something new; I have always maintained such a stance,” he said, adding that he has never gone against the party line in Parliament.
The state Congress leadership welcomed Tharoor’s remarks, with Satheesan announcing he would campaign across all 140 constituencies for the UDF, terming him a global citizen with strong grassroots connect.