Kerala Congress Leader Attacks Shashi Tharoor Over "Oxford English"

In a fresh salvo targeting Shashi Tharoor, who had come under attack for his alleged "Modi praise", party colleague K Muraleedharan once again made a veiled attack on the Thiruvananthapuram MP.

Days after the KPCC directed party leaders to stop making public statements after a controversy broke out over Mr Tharoor's statement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be praised for doing the "right things", Mr Murleedharan, MP, said not "Oxford English" but "anti-Modi" stand had helped  the party-led front win the Thiruvananthapuram seat.

Without naming Mr Tharoor, he said Congress leader and former MP, late A Charles, who did not know Oxford English, had won the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat three times.

Addressing a press meet, the senior leader, who represents Vadakara constituency in the Lok Sabha, also said even if he had quit the Congress party some time back, he had never supported the BJP or sought its favour.

Mr Muraleedharan was apparently referring to Mr Tharoor's recent criticism against him that those who asked him to quit the party and join the BJP had rejoined the Congress barely eight years ago after leaving it and attacking it for years.

"Even A Charles, who spoke good Malayalam, had won from the constituency three times. He had not won because of Oxford English. It was because, Thiruvananthapuram has been a Congress bastion like Vadakara which was generally considered a constituency in which the CPI(M) has an upper hand," he told reporters.

But, this time, Congress candidates had won both these seats because of the "anti-Modi" stance of the UDF, he said, adding that there was no change in his stand.

Mr Muraleedharan also said the party had decided not to initiate any action against Mr Tharoor based on his explanation.

The former union minister had earned the wrath of some his party colleagues for his remarks that PM Modi should be praised for doing the "right things."

Mr Muraleedhran, son of former Chief Minister, late K Karunakaran, was among senior Congress leaders who had severely criticised the former union minister for his "Modi praise."

While Mr Muraleedharan had said those who wanted to praise PM Modi should join BJP, another party MP, Benny Behannan, said glorifying the Prime Minister was not the job of Congressmen.

Opposition leaders in the state Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala and TN Pratapan MP also came out against Mr Tharoor, following which KPCC President, Mullappally Ramachandran had sought his explanation.

Mr Tharoor in his email reply to the explanation sought by Mr Ramachandran had stated had never justified the Prime Minister, but had in fact been a "strong critic" of the BJP government.

The KPCC had accepted the explanation from the three-time MP and instructed congress leaders to refrain from airing their views in public on the controversy.