Shashi Tharoor's BIG remark amid rumoured rift with Congress: ‘National security will always…'

Mint

6 days ago

Amid rumours of a rift with the Congress party, Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said that nation comes first and parties are the means of making the country better.
'Which is your first loyalty? To my mind, the nation comes first. Parties are a means of making the nation better. So, to my mind, whichever party you belong to, the objective of the party is to create a better India in its own way,' Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said while speaking at a private event in Kochi on 'Peace, Harmony and National Development'.
Tharoor also said that he will stand his ground regarding supporting the nation's armed forces and the government as he believes 'this is the right thing for the country'.
According to a PTI report, Tharoor said that politics is unfortunately or otherwise, in any democracy, about competition. "As a result, when people like me say we respect our parties, we have certain values and convictions that keep us in our parties, but we need to cooperate with other parties in the interests of national security, sometimes the parties feel that its disloyal to them and that becomes a big problem," he said.
Later, on the sidelines of the event, he told reporters that "nation first was always my philosophy".
He said that he came back to India only to serve the nation in whatever he can, through and outside politics.
"I have tried to do that," he said.
Remaining tight lipped when asked whether he has any problems with the Congress high command, he said he was not here to discuss any politics or problems.
Tharoor stressed that his commitment is towards a better and safe India whose borders are secure.
"Some of us may say, let's say, more capitalism. Some may say more socialism. Some may be in favour of certain kinds of regulatory controls. Some may be against too much regulation. So you have different points of view. That's fine. But ultimately, we must all be committed to a better India, a safer India, an India whose borders are protected, whose territory is safe, whose people's well-being can be nurtured. And that is my commitment", he said.
The Congress MP further urged all the political parties to stay united when the nation is "imperiled". He quoted former India PM Jawaharlal Nehru famous quote, "Who lives if India dies? And that's a question to which there is no answer. India must come first, and then only can we all live."
"I'm saying it to all parties. Put your differences aside when the nation is imperiled. Because if there is no India, there's a very famous line of Nehru's, which I am very fond of quoting. Who lives if India dies? And that's a question to which there is no answer. India must come first, and then only can we all live," he said.