Chargesheet against Shashi Tharoor 'politically motivated': Congress

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Congress on Monday described as "politically motivated" the Delhi Police chargesheet against party leader Shashi Tharoor accusing him of abetting the suicide of his wife Sunanda Pushkar, while the BJP demanded the MP's resignation.

Tharoor is the only person named as an accused in the case. The police in its chargesheet, which runs into 3,000 pages, has alleged that Tharoor had subjected his wife to cruelty. Pushkar was found dead in a luxury hotel room in Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014.

Opposition leader in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala said "using power, an attempt is being made by BJP to suppress and insult Congress leaders."

Chennithala said "wrong" reports have been given to the media on several occasions in connection with the case to "insult" Tharoor.

"Now, a case for abetting the suicide of his wife has been (filed) against Tharoor," he said in a statement here.

"There has been political interference in the case as Tharoor had severally criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Sangh Parivar on various occasions," Kerala PCC president M M Hassan said.

"It is only the fascists who act in this manner to take on their political rivals... The move is only to cut short the political career of the MP, who represents Thiruvananthapuram in the Lok Sabha," he said.

However, BJP leader M T Ramesh demanded that Tharoor immediately resign as an MP. Congress president Rahul Gandhi should be prepared to seek his resignation, he told reporters.