Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Tuesday sought to put to rest the intra-party wrangling over Shashi Tharoor’s perceived endorsement of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s flagship K-Rail (SilverLine) semi-high-speed rail project.
Mr. Satheesan said Mr. Tharoor’s stance on K-Rail was in accord with the United Democratic Front (UDF). The MP had sought time to study the issue. He had not endorsed K-Rail. The UDF had conducted a detailed evaluation of the project and found it wanting. K-Rail was not economically or environmentally feasible.
Mr. Satheesan said he had sent a copy of the UDF subcommittee study report on K-Rail to Mr. Tharoor. “Nobody need doubt Mr. Tharoor’s position on SilverLine. He shared the UDF’s concerns about the project,” he said.
Matters appeared to have come to a head last week when Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran seemed to issue an ultimatum to Mr. Tharoor. He had said Mr. Tharoor would find himself outside the Congress fold if he did not toe the party line.
However, former KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran and K. Muraleedharan, MP, seemed reluctant to relegate the matter on the back burner. Mr. Ramachandran demanded that the high command discipline Mr. Tharoor for a second time. “Congress workers had strived day and night for his electoral victories. He should not forget the party when making broad statements,” he said.
Mr. Muraleedharan appeared more sarcastic. “The Congress currently does not have the strength to bear a global citizen. It is not the lot of Congress workers to endorse Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan repeatedly,” he said.
All India Congress Committee general secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal told reporters in New Delhi that the KPCC had not lodged any complaint against Mr. Tharoor.
The criticism from his party colleagues notwithstanding, Mr. Tharoor publicly acknowledged Kerala’s “robust health practices, good governance and inclusive politics” once more on Monday.
In a tweet tagged to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Mr. Tharoor said: “If the likes of @myogiadityanath would learn not just health practices but good governance & inclusive politics from Kerala, the country would benefit. Instead, they keep trying to drag the country down to their level”.
