"Breathtakingly Disingenuous": Shashi Tharoor's Rejoinder For PM Modi

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his dig in parliament over Jammu and Kashmir and accused him distorting history by delivering a brazenly political speech during a constitutional occasion.

Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President, PM Modi hit out at those opposing the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and suggested that the Congress leader should be concerned about harmony in the erstwhile state because he was a "son-in-law" of the region, referring to his late wife Sunanda Pushkar.

"Shahi Tharoor ji you have been the son-in-law of Jammu and Kashmir, you should have shown concern," PM Modi said.

Countering the dig, Shashi Tharoor wrote on Twitter: "Don't know whether to be flattered or amused to hear my name four times in the Prime Minister's mellifluous speech. But I was not amused that he continued to tilt at the windmills of history &reduce a solemn Constitutional occasion into an occasion for a petty political speech."

Don't know whether to be flattered or amused to hear my name four times in the Prime Minister's mellifluous speech. But I was not amused that he continued to tilt at the windmills of history &reduce a solemn Constitutional occasion into an occasion for a petty political speech.

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 6, 2020

He asked why those who defend the Constitution supported Article 370. I got up to reply that was because Article 370 was in the Constitution& respect for it was part of our respect for the Constitution (&the democratic processes it provides for which were disregarded on Art.370.)

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 6, 2020

For Modiji to take credit for the Constitutional Amendment settling the border w/Bangladesh is breathtakingly disingenuous —the only reason that @incIndia initiative was not implemented was BJP obstruction & opposition to it. To imply Congress was the obstacle is sheer gall.

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 6, 2020

In his speech in parliament on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke at length about Jammu and Kashmir and the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Slamming former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, who have been under house arrest since the central announced moves to scrap Jammu and Kashmir's special status last August, PM Modi said Kashmir's identity was buried on January 19, 1990, when Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave the valley.

"Who made Kashmir only about land grabbing? Who made Kashmir's identity only about bombs and guns? Can anyone forget that dark night of January? In reality, Kashmiri identity is closely linked with harmony," he said.

The Prime Minister also said if his government worked as per the old ways, the Ram Janmabhoomi issue would have remained unsolved, Kartarpur Sahib corridor would not be a reality and there would be no India-Bangladesh land agreement.

Attacking the government for its handling of Jammu and Kashmir and the CAA, Shashi Tharoor had said the government was only partially quoting Mahatma Gandhi to defend the controversial law.