A terse four-line statement from the AICC said party chief Sonia Gandhi had accepted the view of the disciplinary panel that he be dropped as spokesman.
The Kerala unit of Congress had lodged a complaint with the central leadership that Tharoor's repeated praise for Modi was demoralizing workers and hurting the party's political interests. It was telling in the way all factions of the state unit joined ranks to seek action against Tharoor.
Responding immediately to the news, Tharoor regretted he was not given a chance to defend himself but swore his loyalty to the party. "I am now treating the matter as closed," he said in a statement.
READ ALSO: Kerala Congress wants 'suitable action' against Tharoor for praising Modi
Tharoor's indiscipline pertains to his acceptance of the PM's invite to be a brand ambassador for 'Clean India' campaign while he also made glowing comments about Modi's US trip. When his Kerala colleagues protested, he argued that his complex set of arguments was lost in translation and it could not be seen as pro-Modi.
What has lent a sensitive edge to the Tharoor row is the ongoing probe into the mysterious death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar. Reports about a new post-mortem pointing to Sunanda's death due to poisoning have triggered speculation that he may be keen to humour the government.
Shashi Tharoor with his late wife Sunanda Pushkar.
Congress sources said they do not see Tharoor as wanting to jump ship but feel there was a need to convey that his "bipartisan" approach could only hurt the party politically.
BJP waded into the crisis in the rival camp. "It is their internal matter. But certainly, it shows the level of tolerance or intolerance in the Congress," party secretary Siddharth Nath Singh said.
For the outfit dislodged from power and staring at tough times, the action on Tharoor seems designed to reassert the leadership's authority.
READ ALSO: I am being targeted as I am an outsider, Tharoor says
The row betrays that Congress has still not got a fix on tackling its nemesis. While a hard line approach against Modi could not paper over the resentment among people against UPA, a post-poll softness among Congressmen towards the PM is also riling the party.
When Tharoor drew criticism earlier for lauding Modi as having become "inclusive", he argued his comments were meant to raise the bar for the PM. Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh recently applauded Modi for his prompt action on Kashmir floods.
Stay updated on the go with The Times of India’s mobile apps. Click here to download it for your device.
0 comments:
Post a Comment