Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan on Sunday renewed his criticism of Shashi Tharoor, saying the Thiruvananthapuram MP would not be invited to any Congress event in the state capital unless he changes his stand on national security.
Muraleedharan, a former Union minister, also said Tharoor, who is a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), was no longer seen as “one of us”.
He added that the party’s national leadership would decide what action to take against Tharoor.
“Till he (Tharoor) changes his stance, we will not invite him to any party programme held in Thiruvananthapuram. He is not with us, so there is no question of him boycotting an event,” Muraleedharan told reporters, responding to questions about Tharoor sticking to his views on national security.
His remarks came a day after Tharoor defended his position while speaking at an event in Kochi. “The nation comes first, and parties are the means of making the country better,” Tharoor had said.
“A lot of people have been very critical of me because of my stand supporting the armed forces and the central government in connection with what happened recently in the country and its borders. But I will stand my ground, because I believe this is the right thing for the country,” he said.
Shashi Tharoor further said that when people like him call for cooperation with other parties in the interest of national security, they are often seen as disloyal by their own parties. “That becomes a big problem,” he added.
Muraleedharan has been openly critical of Tharoor in recent weeks. He had earlier taken aim at him for sharing a survey suggesting that Tharoor was the UDF’s most preferred choice for chief minister, saying, “He should first decide which party he belongs to.”
The latest criticism reflects the widening rift between Tharoor and the party’s leadership, particularly following his statements after the Pahalgam terror attack. Some Congress leaders believe his comments have put the party on the defensive.
Muraleedharan had also criticised Tharoor for an article he wrote in a Malayalam daily, where the MP expressed critical views about former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s role during the Emergency.
Reacting to it, Muraleedharan said Tharoor should “choose a clear political path” if he felt constrained within the Congress. HT
