Shashi Tharoor not invited to Congress events in Thiruvananthapuram till change in stance: K Muraleedharan
"Till he (Tharoor) changes his stance, we will not invite him to any party programme held in Thiruvananthapuram. He is not with us, so there is no question of him boycotting an event," Muraleedharan said. He was replying to reporters' query seeking his view on Tharoor sticking to his stand on the issue of national security.
His response also comes a day after Tharoor had said that nation comes first and parties are the means of making the country better.The Congress MP had also said that a lot of people have been very critical of him because of his stand supporting the armed forces and the central government in connection with what happened recently in the country and its borders."But I will stand my ground, because I believe this is the right thing for the country," he had said at an event in Kochi on Saturday.Tharoor had also said that when people like him call for cooperating with other parties in the interests of national security, their own parties feel that it's disloyal to them and that becomes a big problem.Muraleedharn had earlier hit out at Tharoor over sharing of a survey suggesting he is UDF's most preferred choice for Chief Minister, saying "he should first decide which party he belongs to".
Muraleedharan had taken the swipe at the Thiruvananthapuram MP amid a widening rift between Tharoor and the party's central leadership over his reactions following the Pahalgam terror attack, which have drawn sharp criticism within the Congress, with some of his comments seen as putting the party on the defensive. The senior Congress leader had also attacked Tharoor following his article criticising Indira Gandhi over the Emergency appearing in a Malayalam daily.
Muraleedharan had urged the CWC member to choose a clear political path if he felt constrained within the Congress.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
7 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Ajit Pawar visit to Pune reignites Opposition charge of ‘flight' of industries
The spectre of industries, jobs and economic opportunities moving out or away from Maharashtra to other States reared its ahead again on Saturday (July 26, 2025) as a video of Deputy Chief Minister in conversation with a sarpanch from a Pune suburb referenced the issue. Conducting a 6 a.m. surprise visit the Hinjewadi area of the city to review ongoing efforts to tackle civic infrastructure issues that have worsened during the monsoon, Mr. Pawar was heard confronting Hinjewadi sarpanch Ganesh Jambhulkar, 'We are ruined. The entire Hinjewadi IT Park is moving out. It's going out of my Pune, out of Maharashtra, to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Don't you care at all?' The Deputy CM and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader was referring to the condition of the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi, spread over 2,800 acres and developed by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation in the mid-1990s, which houses over 800 IT and business entities including majors such as Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, and Tech Mahindra. The visit came in response to severe waterlogging and traffic chaos during the first spell of monsoon, which had triggered public complaints. Sapkal criticism Following the video going viral, the Congress accused the Mahayuti government of failing to maintain Maharashtra's industrial dominance, citing crumbling infrastructure, corruption and lawlessness. 'The IT industry that once flourished in Hinjewadi during Congress rule is now migrating to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar himself has admitted this,' said Harshvardhan Sapkal, president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee. Mr. Sapkal questioned Mr. Pawar's dual role as Pune's Guardian Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. 'Was Ajit Pawar asleep while Pune declined? He must take responsibility and resign,' he demanded. Launching a sharp critique of the BJP-led alliance government, he said, 'Basic infrastructure is collapsing, and entrepreneurs are losing faith. As a result, not just existing businesses but even future investments are moving away – largely to Gujarat.' The Maharashtra Congress chief cited the ₹1.6-lakh-crore Vedanta-Foxconn project, which was lost to Gujarat, as an example of 'BJP's administrative failure'. 'If even the Deputy CM acknowledges the flight of industries, the government owes the public a clear explanation,' he said. Hinjewadi's decline In May 2024, the Hinjewadi Industries Association (HIA) had claimed that 37 IT companies moved out from the infotech park over the previous 10 years due to the deteriorating infrastructure and traffic congestion in the locality. A month later, NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule said she would hold meetings with the infotech park companies and convince them to stay back. 'The kind of IT park expansion we see elsewhere, like Bengaluru, has not happened here. We are potentially losing business – companies are reluctant to send their employees to Hinjewadi despite the government's efforts. It will take time to regain their confidence,' said Pawanjit Mane, Maharashtra State president of the Forum for IT Employees (FITE).
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
Cong pays tributes to Kargil heroes, offers prayers at KVT
Varanasi: On the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas , Congress workers in Varanasi paid tributes to the martyrs of the Kargil War. The Congress workers led by party state president Ajay Rai paid floral tributes to the martyrs at the party's camp office in Lahurabir. Later, a large number of Congress workers gathered and marched in a procession, chanting 'Har Har Mahadev', to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, where they performed Jalabhishek through the Kashi Dwar. Rai emphasized the significance of the day, honoring the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers, who fought in the Kargil War. He expressed the party's commitment to working for the welfare of all sections of society and promoting peace, prosperity, and harmony. Party district president Rajeshwar Singh Patel and city president Raghavendra Chube highlighted the importance of 'Kashi Dwar', which allows local residents to have a separate entry point for darshan at KVT. They reaffirmed the Congress party's commitment to raising the voices of the common people and working for their welfare.
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
Mufti for alternative plan to avoid razing of mosques
Varanasi: As the process of widening of Dalmandi Road in Varanasi gains momentum, Mufti-e-Banaras Maulana Abdul Batin Nomani has written an open letter to the President, the Prime Minister, Chief Minister and top brass of various opposition parties seeking an alternative route to avoid demolition of six mosques and the centuries old busy market. Following Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's instructions to officials on July 17 to ensure the execution of Dalmandi Road widening project, and the financial and administrative approval by the state cabinet on July 22 for easy access to Gate 4 of Kashi Vishwanath Dham from Nai Sadak, the executing agency, public works department (PWD), started demarcation of 184 identified buildings. The project, worth Rs 215.88 crore, aims to convert the 650-metre-long Dalmandi, a narrow street replete with bottlenecks, into a 17.4-metre-wide passage. PWD officials said that the process of examining documents to determine who possesses the areas in identified buildings and their ownerships had started. This will be followed by the valuation of properties and beginning of negotiations for purchase or acquisition. In an open letter to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Nomani said, "Dalmandi is a historical and vibrant area of the city that houses a major commercial hub of Purvanchal. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pirates Climb Aboard Cargo Ship - Watch What The Captain Did Next Tips and Tricks Undo For years, people from diverse social, cultural, and religious backgrounds have engaged in business activities here in harmony." "The livelihoods of nearly 10,000 families are directly and indirectly linked to this area. The project will lead to the demolition of hundreds of shops, houses, and waqf mosque sites. Efforts should be made to explore an alternative route to avoid the demolition of six mosques and the centuries-old busy market," Nomani said. "Dalmandi area is also an excellent example of communal harmony. It is not only commercially important but also the birthplace and workplace of great figures in India's literature, art, and culture. Demolition of mosques will not only violate constitutional and religious sentiments but also create insecurity and anger among the country's minority communities," he said, demanding suspension of the project claiming that the High Court had granted a temporary stay to mosques and building owners concerned, indicating that there are legal complexities inherent in this project. Meanwhile, the Congress also wrote to Governor Anandiben Patel, terming the road-widening bid "as a bulldozer of redevelopment on the soul of Kashi". Gyanvapi mosque management committee's joint secretary, SM Yasin, appealed to people not to create panic on the issue. Congress's city unit president Raghvendra Chaubey said that a 12-member team of party functionaries had been formed to conduct a survey of the area to understand the ground reality of Dalmandi.
