New Delhi:

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has called for changes to the “overall attitude in Indian society”, remarking also that “there must be something wrong with Indian men”, if there is to be any hope in controlling, if not eradicating, the horrid issue of violent crime against women.

Mr Tharoor’s strong criticism – particularly about there being “something wrong with Indian men if we can’t address this problem” – comes amid a deeply worrying flood of sexual assault allegations against senior members of the Kerala film industry, also called Mollywood.

Speaking to NDTV Friday, Mr Tharoor welcomed the exposure of widespread sexual assault of women, and men, in Mollywood, as well as police cases and the resignations, but stressed the real battle for gender equality lay in correcting the “degradation” of Indian society.

“I think there are many things coming out of the closet of our society… beginning with assaults against women. This goes back forever but is now talked about since the Nirbhaya tragedy of 2012 (a young woman gangraped and murdered in Delhi) and now, the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder of 2024 (a trainee doctor was raped murdered at a Kolkata hospital this month).”

“This is a span of a dozen years in which nothing seems to have changed!”

“Every Day… Some Woman Assaulted”

“Every day when I pick up the newspaper there is some incident… some woman has been assaulted. It could be a college student, a child, or a middle-aged lady. (There must be) something wrong with Indian men if we can’t address this problem…” Mr Tharoor told NDTV.

The Lok Sabha MP from Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram, Mr Tharoor also recalled a conversation with the late former Delhi Chief Minister after the Nirbhaya incident, in which had suggested “serious gender sensitivity instruction for schoolboys from a very young age”.

READ | “Paid Heavy Price For MeToo Allegations”: Singer Chinmayi Sripaada

“I hope something like that can be implemented… because we can’t go on having tragedy after tragedy. There is shock and horror and outrage (at first) but then it all subsides and we move on to the next tragedy. That doesn’t work. We need systematic change,” he stressed.

“Proud That Kerala Women Stood Up”

On the sexual assault charges that have roiled the Kerala film industry, Mr Tharoor said he was disappointed by the allegations but “proud” his home state is leading this #MeToo wave.

“I grew up in a household of strong women. I had two sisters and a mother who had strong views… and had independent ways of functioning in their own right,” he said of his background.

READ | “Hoping For Justice…”: Young Kerala Actor Claims Rape By Actor Baburaj

“I am proud that the first place in India that has exposed what everyone says is going on, in every other film industry, is Kerala…. at least Kerala stood and up said, ‘this is not right’.”

He did, however, hit out at Kerala’s ruling CPIM for having “sat on it (the report on sexual assaults in Mollywood) for five years. “Inexcusable. It should have been released on the spot.”

On AMMA Resignations

Nearly a dozen cases have been filed against senior actors and filmmakers, including M Mukesh, who is also an MLA for the ruling CPI(M), accusing them of rape, sexual harassment, and molestation, since the release of the Justice Hema Committee report last week.

READ | Rape Case Against MLA And Actor Mukesh In Mollywood #MeToo Wave

The flurry of complaints have led to senior Mollywood figures resigning from state government panels or bodies associated with the film industry, and several members of a powerful actors’ body, called Association of Malayalam Movie Actors, quitting citing “moral responsibility”.

READ | Second Case Filed Against Actor Jayasurya In Mollywood #Metoo Row

This week veteran actor Mohanlal stepped down as President of AMMA, as too did members of its executive committee. Mr Tharoor recognised their action but insisted it was not enough.

READ | Mohanlal Quits As Malayalam Film Body AMMA Chief Amid ‘MeToo’ Storm

“(Of the) people who have resigned, in some cases, their own names have been taken by accusers… (resigning) is not just about moral responsibility… the fact is they presided over a system that allowed this to happen,” he pointed out.

“Right To Their Spaces”

The Congress leader also spoke about how assault against women, specifically at their workplaces, might be addressed, red-flagging women being denied even basic facilities, the lack of which forces them to occupy potentially unsafe spaces.

“Must (ensure) basic facilities… toilets for women and restrooms, areas where they can literally physically rest, whether in a hospital in Kolkata or on a film set are critical. Women should be recognised as having the right to their own space and being free of interference there.”

READ | “Would Lose My Dignity”: Actor On Why She Filed #MeToo Complaint

Men invading that space, he said, must be told, in no uncertain terms, that such misbehaviour will warrant very severe punishment.

Outside Help For Women In Kerala Films

Mr Tharoor also stressed the need for an independent forum for women to lodge future complaints.

“In the workplace Vishaka Committee recommendations apply, and each company has its committee on sexual harassment. But clearly, if the industry is complicit, then this isn’t enough. So you need a tribunal with outside people in it…”

“One of the biggest tragedies in any workplace sexual harassment situation is that the woman feels she needs the job, or the money, or the opportunity and therefore sexual assault is the price to pay.”

“For generations, in every film industry, that seems to be what many women have gone through. And this is something that really, really should not be allowed.”

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New Delhi:

Amid the ongoing violence in Bangladesh, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that it is difficult for people in India to be indifferent when every symbol of the country’s friendship with Bangladesh is being attacked there.

Pointing to the turmoil in Bangladesh, Mr Tharoor said it is tragic to see what was hailed as a democratic revolution degenerating into anarchy, and violence targeting the minorities and the Hindu minority.

“It’s extremely tragic that what was hailed as a democratic, popular revolution has degenerated into anarchy, and violence targeting the minorities and the Hindu minority… We in India must stand with the people of Bangladesh. But it’s difficult for us to be indifferent when every symbol of India’s friendship with Bangladesh is being attacked,” Mr Tharoor told ANI.

He highlighted how several institutions were vandalised during the ongoing violence, making it a “very negative” sign for people in India.

Mr Tharoor said, “The statue of the surrender of the Pakistani forces to Indian soldiers has been smashed to bits. The Indian Cultural Centre is destroyed, and a number of institutions are vandalised, including the ISKCON temple. All of these things are very negative signs for people in India. It is not in Bangladesh’s interest either to come across in this way.”

“They should be saying that this is about the restoration of their democracy, but in the process, you turn against the minorities and in particular one minority, inevitably, that will be noticed and resented in our country and elsewhere…” he added.

Bangladesh is experiencing a volatile political situation, after Sheikh Hasina resigned from the post of Prime Minister on August 5 amid mounting protests. The protests, led mainly by students demanding an end to a quota system for government jobs, evolved into anti-government demonstrations.

A clash occurred on Tuesday between Bangladesh Army personnel and members of the minority Hindu community protesting with posters of their family members who went missing during the violence in the country.

The members were protesting outside Jamuna State Guest House in Dhaka, where Bangladesh interim govt chief Muhammad Yunus is residing.

In the early hours on Tuesday, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor of the interim government of Bangladesh, visited the historic Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka, where he assured the minorities in Bangladesh of their safety and security in the country.

“Rights are equal for everyone. We are all one people with one right. Do not make any distinctions among us. Please, assist us. Exercise patience, and later judge — what we were able to do and not. If we fail, then criticise us,” Prof Yunus was quoted as saying by Bangladesh newspaper Daily Star.”

“In our democratic aspirations, we should not be seen as Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists, but as human beings. Our rights should be ensured. The root of all problems lies in the decay of institutional arrangements. That is why such issues arise. Institutional arrangements need to be fixed,” he added.

Following Younus’ visit, a significant meeting was held between representatives of the Muslim community and the Hindu minority at the temple. This gathering served as a platform for open dialogue, where both communities discussed various issues and worked towards strengthening communal harmony.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor today said that Vinesh Phogat is “tired of fighting”, shortly after the wrestler announced her retirement following the shock exit from the Paris Olympics 2024 on Wednesday.

In a post in Hindi on X, Mr Tharoor said, “This girl is tired of this system… This girl is tired of fighting.”

इस सिस्टम से पक गई है ये लड़की
लड़ते-लड़ते थक गई है ये लड़की…#SorryVinesh! https://t.co/PkAGIqv1HWpic.twitter.com/59N38rT3Lx

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 8, 2024

Ms Phogat, heartbroken over her disqualification, announced her retirement from wrestling today.

“Wrestling won the match against me, I lost… My courage is all broken, I don’t have any strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will forever be in your debt,” she wrote in Hindi on X.

Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the Paris Olympics for being 100 grams overweight, hours before she was to take on the US’ Sarah Ann Hildebrandt in the historic 50-kg freestyle gold medal match.

She had scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the gold medal bout in her category on Tuesday night and was assured of at least a silver medal.

The 29-year-old grappler, who usually competes in the 53 kg category, had moved down to the 50 kg weight class for the Paris Olympic Games.

Shortly after her disqualification, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called her “a champion among champions” and urged her to “come back stronger”.

“Today’s setback hurts. I wish words could express the sense of despair I am experiencing. At the same time… you epitomise resilience. It has always been your nature to take challenges head-on. We are rooting for you,” he posted on X.

Vinesh Phogat Demands Olympic Silver

Vinesh Phogat has decided to file an appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against her disqualification from the Paris Olympics.

Ms Phogat, who is a three-time Olympian and has won gold medals in both the Asian and Commonwealth Games, has asked for a joint Olympic silver to be given to her.

The verdict is expected to be given today.

An ad-hoc division of the CAS has been set up in Paris for resolution by arbitration of any disputes arising during the Olympic Games or during a period of 10 days preceding the opening ceremony.

Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who lost to Ms Phogat in the semifinals, replaced her in the final against Ms Hildebrandt.

Ms Hidebrandt won the bout to claim gold and the Indian wrestler is now banking on the CAS to be a joint silver medallist with Ms Lopez.

New Delhi:

Job creation as the focus of this year’s budget and the Centre’s much publicised spends on infrastructure became the two key issues over which Congress’s Shashi Tharoor and the BJP’s Jay Panda butted heads this evening, each expressing views that are polar opposites. The huge push for internship and jobs for first-timers has been criticised by the Congress as plagiarism from its election manifesto. Senior leaders of the party, including P Chidambaram and now Mr Tharoor, have expressed the view that the government’s version is a pale imitation at best.

Speaking to NDTV today, Mr Tharoor said the Congress vision has been “diluted”, undermining its worth.

“We talked of giving 1 lakh for apprenticeship, which trains people for real jobs while this is only Rs 60,000 a year and is an internship, which is an assistant kind of role,” he said. Also, the government is using CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds which is ending up covering a company’s own costs instead of being used for society, he added.

Mr Panda commented that the Congress leader was taking credit for the Centre’s ideas, which, he said, was Mr Tharoor’s “subtle way” of giving a compliment. Employment, Mr Panda said, is a perpetual problem in India, but the government has got a handle on it, as data from the Reserve Bank of India has made clear.

In its 10-year term, the UPA had created 29 million jobs, compared to the 125 million jobs created by the Narendra Modi government over the last nine years, he said, calling it a “Holy grail achieved”.

Here, he was vociferously interrupted by Mr Tharoor, who said it was to the “eternal discredit” of the RBI that it had backed that data.  

Mr Tharoor also pointed out that Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman never once mentioned the UPA’s flagship welfare programme MNREGA, and the allocations for the key health and education sectors have gone down.

About infrastructure, one of the most dominant sectors in PM Modi’s tenure which gets a lion’s share of the outlay in every budget, Mr Tharoor questioned the quality of work done, citing examples of the roof collapse at the Delhi airport, the collapse of five bridges in Bihar, canopies to two more airports, Rajkot and Jabalpur collapsing, and the crack in Mumbai’s trans-harbour link. “What is infrastructure allocation doing if it is not giving lasting benefit to the nation,” he questioned.

Mr Panda pointed out that much of this infrastructure was built in the UPA era.

This year, the government has allocated a record Rs 11,11,111 crore on capital infrastructure, which is 3.4 per cent of the GDP. Over the last three years, the government has doubled spending on infrastructure as a way to boost the economy. As a percentage of GDP, longer-term capital expenditure has risen from 1.7 per cent in 2019-20 to 3.4 per cent in the current year.

New Delhi:

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor took a swipe at the BJP on Friday after the Labour Party in the UK secured a landslide victory in the general elections there, saying “ab ki baar, 400 paar” finally happened but in another country.

In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, BJP leaders had predicted that the party would get more than 370 seats while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would get over 400.

In the polls that concluded last month, the BJP won 240 seats and fell short of a majority but the NDA secured the mandate with 293 seats.

The Congress bagged 99 seats while the INDIA bloc got 234. Following the polls, two Independent MPs pledged support to the Congress, taking the INDIA bloc’s tally to 236.

In a post on X, Mr Tharoor said, “Finally ‘ab ki baar 400 paar’ happened — but in another country!”

Finally “ab ki baar 400 paar” happened — but in another country! pic.twitter.com/17CpIp9QRl

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 5, 2024

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said that, amid the tectonic transition in the UK, it was worth recalling the political events that unfolded in India a month ago.

“A self-declared non-biological person did not get elected by his party MPs as their leader but instead got himself anointed as the leader of an alliance. A circumvention of all parliamentary norms, all in a vain attempt to save face after being hugely diminished and damaged after the elections, and suffering a decisive personal, political and moral defeat,” Mr Ramesh said.

On Friday, Keir Starmer became the UK’s new Prime Minister and vowed to rebuild Britain, hours after his Labour Party secured a landslide victory in a general election in which the weary voters inflicted a “sobering verdict” on Rishi Sunak-led Conservatives.

The Labour Party secured 412 seats in the 650-member House of Commons, up 211 from the 2019 elections.

Mr Sunak’s Conservatives won just 121 seats, down 250 from 2019. While the Labour had a vote share of 33.7 per cent the Conservatives had 23.7 per cent. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Decrying the excesses that had taken place during the period, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has hit out at the government for using the Emergency as a “diversionary tactic” and said that while imposing it may have been undemocratic, it was not unconstitutional.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV on Thursday, the senior leader, who has just been reelected as the MP from Thiruvananthapuram for the fourth consecutive time, also addressed issues like the demand for replacing the ‘sengol’ and the NEET paper leaks, which are set to dominate the ongoing session of Parliament. 

To a question on the Congress and other opposition parties opposing the references to the Emergency by Speaker Om Birla on Thursday and President Droupadi Murmu in her address on Friday, Mr Tharoor asked why something that happened 49 years ago was being “dredged up” so forcefully by the government. 

Accusing the BJP-led NDA of moving the goalposts and either talking about 1975 or 2047, and not about the present, he said the focus should be on burning issues like unemployment, the NEET paper leaks and the situation in Manipur. 

On the BJP using the Emergency to blunt the Congress’ plank that it was trying to save the Constitution, which yielded dividends in the Lok Sabha polls, the MP said, “The irony is that is actually one thing the BJP could not accurately say. I am a critic of the Emergency, but the very fact is that the Emergency may have been undemocratic, but it was not unconstitutional. It was a provision in the Constitution that permitted the imposition of an internal emergency. That provision has since been removed.”

“But it was there at the time and therefore what was done by the government in 1975 was strictly within the boundaries of the Constitution. So for the rashtrapati to say it was an unconstitutional attack or an attack on the Constitution is actually inaccurate in legal terms. I am not supporting the emergency; I think arresting opposition politicians, censoring the press and a number of steps taken were undemocratic steps, but they were, sadly, not unconstitutional steps,” he asserted. 

The Congress leader emphasised that the Constitution had not been suspended during those months and even the 42nd Amendment – which amended the Preamble and is referred to as a ‘mini Constitution’ –  was “passed within the provisions of the existing system”. 

“So I am not saying this is something to be proud of. I don’t think we should be debating the Emergency and politics today when there are more important things to do. But I am just challenging the claim that it was unconstitutional. It was not. It was completely within the Constitution, however undesirable,” he said. 

The ‘Sengol’ Debate

The BJP has attacked the opposition over the Samajwadi Party’s demand that the ‘sengol’ – a sceptre symbolising the transition of power from the British Raj to self-rule by Indians – be replaced with a copy of the Constitution in the Lok Sabha. The demand has also been backed by at least one senior Congress leader, who said that the baton symbolises “kingship”.

When Mr Tharoor was asked about this, he said, “This is a debate I personally don’t wish to enter into because I can see the arguments on both sides – one that it is a symbol of monarchy and we are a republic, and the other saying it is a purely symbolic thing and honours a part of India… And I don’t really want to pick and choose between these two things.”

“I will say, however, that what the Congress Party and the opposition are focused upon are the real issues facing people today, which, certainly include NEET. We are concerned about unemployment, particularly for young people, and we are concerned very, very seriously, about some of the issues the government simply does not want to talk about, from Manipur to the India-China border,” he emphasised. 

Advice For Rahul Gandhi?

Asked if he had any advice for Rahul Gandhi, who is now the Leader of the Opposition and is holding his first constitutional post, he said the former Congress president has emerged as a “considerable leader” in his own right. 

“The turning of the narrative began with the two Bharat Jodo Yatras, particularly the first one, which seized the imagination of the nation and of young people everywhere. He (Rahul Gandhi) moved on from there into this very effective, active campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections of 2024. I think his ability to now frame the narrative in a way that appeals to and attracts large numbers of people is beyond dispute. So I would say that he doesn’t need any advice from the likes of me,” Mr Tharoor said. 

“What he needs is now the opportunity to use the platform of being Leader of the Opposition to set the agenda for the government to respond to, and to ensure that the government is kept on the nation’s business rather than distracting us with what are really not relevant debates. A vast majority of the Indian population was not even born when the Emergency was declared,” he pointed out.

Opposition’s Strength

The Thiruvananthapuram MP, who was once in a race for the Congress president’s post, also said that it is in the government’s interest to focus on cooperation rather than confrontation with the opposition. 

“This is no longer a small number of MPs that you can just roll over with a brute majority. This is a very large swathe of Indian public opinion represented in these elections, and we are talking about 234 members in the India Alliance alone, as well as others who are not affiliated with the government… The problem often is that the government acts as if they don’t really need to consult the opposition and that, I believe, would be very unwise,” he warned. 

New Delhi:

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s jab at the BJP over paper leaks in competitive exams at the state and all-India level has drawn a sharp response, with BJP leaders from Uttar Pradesh accusing him of running down and stereotyping the northern state.

Late last night, Mr Tharoor shared an image on X that had a question and an answer. The question in Hindi was, “What is called Uttar Pradesh?” The answer was: “a state where uttar (meaning answers) are known before the exam.” Mr Tharoor described the post as “shandaar” and added the hashtag “Pariksha pe charcha” — a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to interact with students.

शानदार! #परीक्षापेचार्चाpic.twitter.com/xXK8q54FWl

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 22, 2024

The Thiruvananthapuram MP’s post was clearly aimed at mocking the Centre over multiple cases of paper leaks in state-level and all-India examinations. The country is currently witnessing massive protests surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical courses. Alleged irregularities in the exam, taken by 24 lakh students, have prompted the government to order a CBI investigation. Amid the row, the government has postponed three other all-India exams, triggering a sharp response from Opposition parties.  

At the state level too, question papers of several recruitment exams in Uttar Pradesh have leaked this year and the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government has drawn strong criticism. In fact, paper leaks were a key talking point during the general election in which the BJP took a big hit in Uttar Pradesh, its score down from 62 in the 2019 polls to 33 this time. 

Mr Tharoor’s post, however, has drawn a counterstrike in Uttar Pradesh, with BJP leaders accusing him of insulting the state.

I don’t see the humour in running down my state and its people by stereotyping them with such condemnable remarks. Such an insult to UP is deplorable and must be condemned in strongest words.#uttarpradeshhttps://t.co/68tYuLFUFQ

— Jitin Prasada जितिन प्रसाद (@JitinPrasada) June 23, 2024

Union minister Jitin Prasada, a prominent UP leader who was earlier with the Congress, has posted in response to Mr Tharoor, “I don’t see the humour in running down my state and its people by stereotyping them with such condemnable remarks. Such an insult to UP is deplorable and must be condemned in strongest words.”

Shameless crass politics of shaming other fellow Indians – thats the Congress way, ably demonstrated by this self-titled Global citizen.

It was just a few months ago, another of Cong “global citizens” Pitroda described Indians as Africans, Chinese, Middle eastern etc

Runs… https://t.co/YLsZ5U1zb5

— Rajeev Chandrasekhar (@RajeevRC_X) June 23, 2024

Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekar has hit out too, saying that the post demonstrates “shameless crass politics of shaming fellow Indians”. “Shameless crass politics of shaming other fellow Indians – that’s the Congress way, ably demonstrated by this self-titled Global citizen. It was just a few months ago, another of Cong ‘global citizens’ Pitroda described Indians as Africans, Chinese, Middle eastern etc. Runs deep in the Cong DNA, this type of superiority complex,” posted Mr Chandrashekar, who lost to Mr Tharoor in this election.

Shashi Tharoor is a repeat offender who had earlier gravely insulted our North East brothers and sisters by ridiculing their traditional attire as outlandish. To belittle a serious issue, implying that the state of UP is a state of cheaters is indefensible and unpardonable.… https://t.co/4Odbeuml0P

— C.R.Kesavan (@crkesavan) June 23, 2024

BJP’s national spokesperson CR Kesavan called Mr Tharoor “a repeat offender who had earlier gravely insulted our North East brothers and sisters by ridiculing their traditional attire as outlandish”. “To belittle a serious issue, implying that the state of UP is a state of cheaters is indefensible and unpardonable. Splattering fancy English words does not necessarily make one civil and dignified.” 

Shashi, you having to resort to frivolity!! And in doing so condemning people of an entire state? You don’t see UP as yours, since you are deriding it.
How I see Kerala is it’s my state, it’s my people. Bright, young, dynamic Keralites have served with me in the Army and rubbed… https://t.co/i7AxfPz7cb

— Col Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) June 23, 2024

Another BJP leader to hit out at the Congress MP was Rajasthan minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. “Shashi, you having to resort to frivolity!! And in doing so condemning people of an entire state? You don’t see UP as yours, since you are deriding it,” he posted.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma responded in what can be called a ‘Tharooresque’ fashion. Mr Tharoor’s wide-ranging vocabulary and choice of words has often made headlines. In his swipe at the Congress leader, Mr Sarma appeared to be playing at that.

This gentleman frequently indulges in satirizing various cultures (first Northeast and now UP) with remarkably caustic words.

He has succumbed to the beguiling whispers of lunacy, his mind adrift in the ethereal mists of derangement. https://t.co/aGuUU61bAy

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) June 23, 2024

“This gentleman frequently indulges in satirizing various cultures (first Northeast and now UP) with remarkably caustic words. He has succumbed to the beguiling whispers of lunacy, his mind adrift in the ethereal mists of derangement,” the Assam Chief Minister posted. 

Thiruvananthapuram:

Priyanka Gandhi’s presence in the Lok Sabha would strengthen the opposition benches and Wayanad would have a very strong person to represent them in Parliament, Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor said on Tuesday.

Mr Tharoor, speaking to the PTI on the sidelines of his ‘thanksgiving’ campaign in Neyyattinkara Assembly constituency, said Priyanka Gandhi has been a very effective orator during the election campaigns and he was happy that she decided to enter electoral politics from Kerala.

“I think Rahulji absolutely had to keep Rae Bareli, it is a very important signal to the people of Uttar Pradesh and of North India in general.

“At the same time, he did not want to feel that he was abandoning the people of Wayanad and it is better to entrust it to his own sister. So I think it is a wonderful decision,” Mr Tharoor said as he travelled through the constituency in an open vehicle, thanking the voters.

He said the same was his preference for the last few weeks, when it was clear that Rahul Gandhi had to choose one or the other.

“I certainly can mention that this was my own preference for some weeks now when it became clear that he had to choose one or the other and I thought it was the right choice and I applaud it wholeheartedly,” Mr Tharoor said.

He said Priyanka Gandhi could have been a wonderful candidate in Varanasi as well, especially looking at how good the Congress candidate did against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“I think right now, by winning in Wayanad, which she should do comfortably I believe, she is going to bring a very strong voice to the Parliament. We have all seen her speaking during the election campaign. She is one of the most impressive speakers and campaigners we have got and to have her in the Lok Sabha would be a huge asset to the party,” Mr Tharoor said.

He said it is unfortunate to single out one family and accuse them of ‘parivarvaad’, when this system is ingrained in our culture.

He said according to reports, 15 BJP MPs are from political families and it would be an underestimation as many more would be coming from political families.

“In our culture, dentists want their children to be dentists, artists want their children to be artists and it is there in politics as well,” Mr Tharoor said.

Replying to a question on whether he had given a complaint to AICC, expressing his disappointment over how the Thiruvananthapuram district Congress leaders performed during his election campaign, Mr Tharoor denied it.

“No…no. I have not complained to anyone. We all have done our part, the party workers did their part and we have a victory to speak about,” Mr Tharoor said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi was given a shoutout by party leaders including Shashi Tharoor and her husband Robert Vadra after it was announced that she would be contesting the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, a seat previously held by his brother Rahul Gandhi.

Mr Tharoor took to X, proclaiming, “No more doubt, here comes Priyanka.” Robert Vadra echoed this sentiment by sharing the same image with folded hands and a heart emoji.

न शक रहा ना शंका
लो आ गई प्रियंका !#WelcomeToWayanad@INCIndiapic.twitter.com/B9YFMouOhP

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 18, 2024

pic.twitter.com/bI0dgvs7HT

— Robert Vadra (@irobertvadra) June 17, 2024

Since her entry into active politics in 2019, Priyanka, 52, has been seen as a potential challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, particularly from Varanasi, and as a successor to Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli. However, the Congress party has now decided to field her from Kerala’s Wayanad. Rahul Gandhi, who recently decided to vacate the Wayanad seat for Priyanka while retaining Rae Bareli, has expressed confidence in her abilities to carry forward his legacy in Kerala.

“I am very happy to be able to represent Wayanad. All I’ll say is that I won’t let them feel his (Rahul’s) absence. I will work hard and try my best to make everybody happy and be a good representative,” Priyanka said.

Her candidacy is seen as a strategic move by the Congress to strengthen its position in a state where the party has performed well in recent elections.

Priyanka’s political journey has been marked by her roles as the general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh and later the entire state. Despite mixed results in the 2019 polls, she continued to bolster the party’s grassroots presence. By December 2023, she had become the Congress’ key strategist and star campaigner for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, contributing significantly to the party’s improved performance, which saw it secure 99 seats, up from 52 in 2019.

Robert Vadra, Priyanka’s husband, who had earlier shown interest in contesting from Amethi, expressed his support as she takes on this new challenge. If Priyanka wins the bypolls, it will mark the first time that three members of the Gandhi family will be in Parliament, with Sonia Gandhi representing Rajasthan in the Rajya Sabha.

“I extend my best wishes to Mrs. @priyankagandhi ji on being declared the candidate by the Congress Party from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency. I have full faith that the people of Wayanad will bless Priyanka ji wholeheartedly and will make her their voice and send her to Parliament,” Congress leader Sachin Pilot wrote.

Party leader Gaurav Gogoi said, “The voice of the people will resonate much louder with both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi present inside the Parliament.” 

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief K Sudhakaran welcomed Priyanka’s entry into Wayanad, stating, “From now on, two Gandhi voices will rise for Kerala in Parliament! Wayanad is stepping into history.” 

Shimla:

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said that sometimes he wonders whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would be able to win even 200 seats in these Lok Sabha elections.

“400 paar slogan was a fantasy when PM Modi first said it. 300 paar is clearly impossible. I am wondering about 200 paar whether they can get or not, as their allies are performing very poorly,” Shashi Tharoor told ANI.

Mr Tharoor further said that there is a need for an agreement on the issue of the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

“If consensus is there, we don’t have any problems, but the problem is, what are you proposing in UCC? There is no draft law. Let them bring a draft law to Parliament. Let it be discussed in the standing committee in detail. Let there be an open discussion in Parliament with all stakeholders,” he said.

Mr Tharoor also held an interactive session with the legal cell of the Himachal Pradesh Congress committee in Shimla.

He said that at the moment, there will be a change of government on June 4. “So we will get more than 272 seats to form the INDIA bloc government,” he said.

Mr Tharoor said that after forming the government, the Congress party and alliance parties will fulfil the promises made to the people of the country.

“We shall fill the government jobs in a time-phased manner, we will do it. The second thing we have promised is the apprenticeship scheme ‘Pahli Naukri Pakki’. We shall make sure that the government gives Rs 8,500 per person per month for a company to hire somebody and train a person in a new skill and a new job. The number of changes that have to be made certain fields have to be much more connected to the industrial real world; ,the academic industry is not more satisfactory, in some universities we have quality of education and in some we will have to improve it, the government has to create and generate the jobs,” Mr Tharoor said.

He further said that the narratives peddled by Prime Minister Narendra are changing each day.

“Mr Modi’s narrative has become increasingly difficult to comprehend He says various things about Muslim community. When he gives interviews, he says anyone who raises Hindu-Muslim issues is not worthy of public office He again raises Hindu-Muslim issues I don’t understand the contradictions in Mr Modi’s statements. Similarly, he says he is not biologically born, I have recently raised a question: there are certain requirements to be a citizen of India. If your parents are Parmatma, how can you be an Indian citizen, and how are you eligible to become the Indian Prime minister. I am not joking; these are certainly strange statements of the Prime Minister,” Mr Tharoor said.

On PM Modi’s remarks that Congress is an enemy of minorities, Mr Tharoor said that Congress and INDIA bloc believe in politics of inclusion.

“There is a new story from PM every day. First, he told us that we wanted to take away everyone’s Mangalsutra and give it to the minorities and now we have become the enemies of minorities. We stand for everybody, INDIA bloc and Congress believe in the politics of inclusion,” Mr Tharoor added further.

Refuting the claims made by Union Minister Anurag Thakur that “Priyanka Gandhi never stood in support of women”, Mr Tharoor said that the BJP does not have a good track record when it comes to defending the rights of women in the country.

“That’s not true, Priyanka Gandhi has been active. You can see going back to Nirbhaya tragedy, all the other things that had happened, she had been a strong voice. I don’t think the BJP has much to say or stand up that they claim to be better at coming up with slogans than us, but they are much worse at actually putting them into action, as we have demonstrated. Let’s look at the Beti Bachao slogan, where do they stand on this? I would like to hear from them about their achievements in addressing violence against women and the misogynistic behavior of their leaders. This party does not have a good track record when it comes to women’s rights in our country.”

The polling for the 2024 general elections in Himachal Pradesh is scheduled to take place in a single phase on June 1. The state of Himachal Pradesh has four Lok Sabha constituencies Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, and Shimla. In addition to the Lok Sabha elections, by-polls will also be held in six Himachal Pradesh assembly seats on the same day. These seats fell vacant after the disqualification of rebel Congress MLAs.The results for both the Lok Sabha elections and the assembly polls will be announced on June 4.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)