BHUBANESWAR: Senior Congress leader and Thiruvanthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor who has raised hackles in his party for praising Kerala’s economic progress and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diplomacy, on Saturday rued the deepening polarisation of Indian politics.
Speaking at a literary festival here, Tharoor touched upon the deteriorating relationship between the government and the Opposition and said such acrimony is not good for the country.
“We have now reached a level of polarisation in our politics. We can be adversaries but not enemies. We must agree to disagree but should not be disagreeable,” he said.
He further said, “My view is simple. Even within our political space we should be able to see the good things we do and the merit in the other side. We may be opposed to the ruling party on many issues because we have different views, but all of us want to see India prosperous. The government must also understand that the Opposition is not anti-national,” he said.
With speculations rife that the senior Congress leader is inching closure to the saffron party after his reported rift with the party, Tharoor stressed he was neither a “communist nor communalist”.
However, a social media post by national BJP vice-president and Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda late on Friday night reignited the rumour mills. Travelling in the same flight from Delhi to Bhubaneswar, a selfie by Panda with the Congress MP with a post on X - “My friend & fellow traveler called me mischievous for saying that we seem to be finally travelling in the same direction” set the social media abuzz.
In a quick response though, Tharoor clarified that he was only travelling to Bhubaneswar to attend the literary festival. “Fellow traveller only to Bhubaneswar! I am addressing the Kalinga LitFest tomorrow morning. And coming right back!!,” was his reply to the post.