Shashi Tharoor’s latest trip to Russia and the UK as part of the second phase of the post-Operation Sindoor outreach has caught the Congress leadership unawares and provided ammo to his Kerala rivals to target the four-time MP.
Tharoor left for Moscow on Friday for a two-week trip, setting tongues wagging on his growing proclivity for keeping the party leadership in the dark about centrally appointed missions.
However, sources said Tharoor had sought a meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on the eve of his trip but was denied an appointment.
“It’s reliably learned that Tharoor was denied appointment. Now that he is off for two weeks, tongues will wag. The AICC will not take any tough stand against Tharoor. Like a true seasoned
politician, Tharoor is enjoying all the attention that comes his way. This outburst against Tharoor will go on endlessly until the Assembly elections next summer,” a Congress leader told The Telegraph.
Before leaving the country, Tharoor had caused a stir in the party when he told reporters that he had not been invited to campaign for the bypoll in the Nilambur Assembly constituency.
“I do not go where I am not invited,” he had said, adding that he hoped the party-led UDF candidate would win.
The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has denied sidelining Tharoor from the campaign, saying the MP was officially listed as one of its star campaigners.
KPCC president Sunny Joseph said Tharoor’s name had been officially included in the party’s list of star campaigners for the election held on June 19.
“He was abroad due to official commitments during the campaign period,” Joseph said.
Taking a cue from a section of party leaders in Delhi who are opposed to Tharoor’s closeness with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his rivals in Kerala have stepped up the ante.
K.C. Venugopal, AICC general secretary (organisation), said on Saturday that if someone “crosses the Lakshman Rekha, the Congress reserves the right to take action”.
“That said, the Congress is not a party that violates anyone’s freedom of expression or freedom of movement,” he quickly added.
Earlier this month, Tharoor returned to India after leading an all-party delegation on Operation Sindoor to the US and four other countries to communicate the country’s stance on terrorism.