Congress Criticises Shashi Tharoor for Reportedly Praising PM Modi

New Delhi: The Congress today criticised its senior leader Shashi Tharoor for reportedly praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event in Kolkata yesterday.

While senior leader and All India Congress Committee Disciplinary Committee Chairman A K Antony said the party had earlier cautioned Mr Tharoor against lavishing praises on PM Modi, Congress spokesperson P C Chacko came down heavily on his colleague.

"On a similar occasion in the past the party has cautioned Tharoor against this after the disciplinary committee examined the matter. I don't want to respond to the latest instance as
I have some limitations as the head of the disciplinary committee," Mr Antony told reporters.

He was reacting to the reportedly laudatory comments made by Mr Tharoor on PM Modi in Kolkata yesterday.

Mr Antony, however, declined to comment on the murder case registered in connection with the death of Mr Tharoor's wife Sunanda Pushkar.

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"The law will take its own course. I don't want to say anything on that," he said.

Earlier in the day, Mr Chacko said Mr Tharoor's praise of PM Modi was "untimely and irresponsible" and hinted at the party taking a serious note of the issue.

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"He (Tharoor) has got a habit of speaking in an untimely and irresponsible manner... The party does not share his views," Mr Chacko told media personnel.

Recalling that Mr Tharoor had earliergone against the party line on this, Mr Chacko said, "This is neither good for him nor the party."

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Hinting that the party would take seriously the reportedly laudatory remarks Mr Tharoor had made on PM Modi at Kolkota, Mr Chacko said, "I don't know in what context he had said this but his views are not shared by the Congress."

Speaking at a book launch function, Mr Tharoor had yesterday seemingly praised PM Modi for his gesture of congratulating him after winning the Lok Sabha elections, saying he did not expect him to reach out after their "nasty" spat.

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Incensed by his praise of PM Modi over the Clean India campaign, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee had in October recommended action against Mr Tharoor, following which he was dropped from the panel of national spokespersons.

The state unit had then held that Mr Tharoor had deeply hurt the sentiments of the party workers who had worked hard for his victory from Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat for a second term.