New Delhi: Days after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed support for party colleague Jairam Ramesh who had publicly declared that it is wrong to “demonise Prime Minister Narendra Modi”, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Tuesday sought an explanation from the Thiruvananthapuram MP over the issue.
KPCC President Mullapally Ramachandran said, "We will seek an explanation from Shashi Tharoor. Currently he is abroad, I have been trying to get in touch with him. The future course of action will be taken based on his explanation. Many Congress leaders have written to me expressing their displeasure over his statement. Modi’s praise should not happen at the expense of the party. Tharoor used to strongly criticise the policies of Modi government, I don’t know what has happened. He should not have taken such a stand."
Tharoor and party leader Abhishek Singhvi had extended support for Ramesh's statement that said "demonising" Modi was "wrong" and the prime minister should be praised for doing the right things.
"As you know, I have argued for six years now that Narendra Modi should be praised whenever he says or does the right thing, which would add credibility to our criticisms whenever he errs. I welcome others in opposition coming around to a view for which I was excoriated at the time," Tharoor had earlier said.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP took to Twitter on Tuesday to defend his stance, saying that his fellow Congressmen should respect his approach even if they do not agree with it.
I've been a strong critic of the Modi government, & i hope a constructive one. My staunch defence of inclusive values& constitutional principles has won me 3 elections. I urge my fellow Congressmen to respect my approach even when they don't agree with it:https://t.co/nqX7COeyim— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 27, 2019
UDF (United Democratic Front) Convenor and Chalakudy MP Benny Behanan had also criticised Tharoor and said that the duty of Congress leaders and workers is not to praise Modi. "The party has a clear stand on this. We are not opposing Modi personally but when we are opposing a government on policies, naturally the PM will also be criticised. The AICC has to take a decision regarding what action needs to be taken against such leaders," he said.
Congress MP TN Prathapan has also written a letter to party president Sonia Gandhi expressing his disappointment over statements made by various party leaders. He has requested Gandhi to urge all leaders to present a strong discourse against fascism.
"I believe that the Congress party should not praise Modi to overcome a crisis as such back steps will actually ruin party's hold and trust among the people. Narendra Modi is an absolute dictator and his regime is suffocating many Indians. He is always busy attacking great leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. We need to toil a lot to expose fascism and its leaders. The approval certificates we produce for their 'good things' will weaken our fight of retaining India," he wrote.
Another MP, K Muraleedharan, has also lashed out at Tharoor. "What is there to praise in this Modi rule? Those who want to praise Modi can go to the BJP and praise him. There is no need to stay in the Congress. This party can only come back to power by pointing out the mistakes of Modi government," he said.
The state will soon witness by-polls in six Assembly seats.
Later on Tuesday, the Congress took strong exception to a few of its leaders calling for not demonising Modi and said that if the opposition starts singing praises for those in power, then "democracy will be destroyed".
Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said unlike the BJP, everyone has the right to express themselves in the Congress as the party has not indulged in "demonisation" as some of the BJP leaders have. "If the opposition gets into singing praises, then democracy will be destroyed," he said when asked about the comments made by some Congress leaders in favour of Modi.
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