In Kerala Congress Powerplay, Shashi Tharoor Claims A "First"

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday hit back at those claiming he was not supporting the UDF agitation against the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor over her alleged letter asking for a "priority list" of CPI(M) cadres to be appointed in temporary posts in the civic body, saying they were probably "not paying attention" to his stand on the issue.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP also said that "disgust" is what he feels when he sees the conduct of the Mayor and the action taken by the police against the Congress protestors.

Speaking to reporters outside the Corporation, where the Congress-led UDF has been agitating for the last 19 days, Tharoor said maybe those claiming he was not supportive of the protest were probably unaware of or "not paying attention" to the news reports about him seeking Mayor Arya Rajendran's resignation on November 7.

"I was the first to seek her resignation. They may not be paying attention or following the news. My seeking her resignation on November 7 was widely reported. So the party should understand my stand on it. Also, it was not a baseless comment by me.

"I took a stand after understanding the issue and giving it considerable thought, like I do on all issues. I was not getting time amidst my duties and obligations to come here, but at the first opportunity I got I came and declared my support for the protest," he said.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly VD Satheesan had recently indicated that the Thiruvananthapuram MP did not take part in any of the ongoing agitations by the party workers in the state capital, which was Tharoor's constituency.

In his speech indicating support for the protest, Tharoor said, "Disgust is what I feel, is the word that comes to my mind, when I see the conduct of the Mayor and the police." He also questioned how mayor Arya Rajendran, the state government and the police would protect people's rights if this was their conduct.

Tharoor further said Rajendran is holding a Constitutional position and therefore, it should not matter to her which party she belongs to or on which party ticket she won.

"She is everyone's mayor, like I am everyone's MP. But what we see in the letter is that after entering a Constitutional office, she is functioning as a party representative.

"It is not only an injustice, it is also a violation of the oath of office taken by her. It is also betrayal, a cheating, of the citizens, especially the youth, of Kerala. We cannot allow it, we cannot accept it and it is unforgivable," he said, lashing out at Rajendran who has been denying that she wrote any such letter.

Tharoor also criticised the police action in the matter, saying that four student members of the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the party's student wing, and 14 Youth Congress workers were in jail for the past 18 days for protesting against the Mayor.

Besides that, Mahila Congress leader and MP Jeby Mather had to be hospitalized, allegedly due to police assault, for five days and two Youth Congress leaders were still in hospital, he said.

"So how is this corporation Mayor, the state government and the police going to protect our rights?" he asked. PTI HMP SS SS