Shashi Tharoor's "Told You So" AIIMS Moment; Rajeev Chandrasekhar Responds

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has taken a swipe at the BJP over what he called "false" promises made by the rival party's leaders during the Lok Sabha election campaign.

Mr Tharoor said he has right from the start maintained that an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will be set up in Kerala, but not at a location decided by any individual leader.

He said the choice of location is opted by the state government, subject to being approved by the Centre.

"I stated during the election campaign that no MP can promise to set up an AIIMS in any location of his choice - it depends on what the state government proposes and the central government agrees to," Mr Tharoor said.

"Despite my best efforts, and intensive lobbying for an AIIMS in my constituency, I honestly told voters that the state government had opted for Kozhikode and that was the sole choice before the Centre," he said.

"Yesterday, Kerala Health Minister Veena George informed the state assembly that the central government has accepted Kerala's proposal to set up an AIIMS at Kinalur in Kozhikode. Shame on those BJP candidates who misled voters by promising otherwise," said the Congress MP, who contested from Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency and won the seat for a fourth consecutive term after a neck-and-neck fight with BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

Responding to the Congress MP's post on X, Mr Chandrasekhar said the Thiruvananthapuram MP has not kept any of his promises for the last 15 years.

"This Congress MP who has represented Thiruvananthapuram for 15 years and has kept none of his promises - from making Barcelona, high court bench, etc (list is embarrassingly long), is talking today (almost in relief) that Kozhikode is getting an AIIMS," Mr Chandrasekhar said. "... that would not have been the case if a BJP/NDA MP had represented and fought for Thiruvananthapuram - which I will," the BJP MP said.

"The reality is that the Kerala BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and I will do more for all the people of Thiruvananthapuram in the next five years than "the smooth-talking, no-nothing, lying types who have squatted here for so many years," Mr Chandrasekhar said.

The Kerala Health Minister had told the assembly the Centre had accepted the state's proposal to set up the AIIMS at Kinalur in Kozhikode. At least 150 acres of the industries department at Kinalur has been acquired for AIIMS. Ms George said steps to take the remaining 50 acres are in the final stage.