New Delhi: The Congress on Friday criticised its senior leader Shashi Tharoor for reportedly praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While senior leader and All India Congress Committee Disciplinary Committee Chairman A K Antony said the party had earlier also cautioned Tharoor against lavishing praises on Modi, Congress spokesperson P C Chacko came down heavily on his colleague.
“On a similar occasion in the past the party has cautioned Tharoor against this after the disciplinary committee examined the matter. I don’t want to respond to the latest instance as I have some limitations as the head of the disciplinary committee,” Antony said.
He was reacting to the reportedly laudatory comments made by Tharoor on Modi in Kolkata on Thursday.
Antony, however, declined to comment on the murder case registered in connection with the death of Tharoor’s wife Sunanda Pushkar.
“Law will take its own course. I don’t want to say anything on that,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Chacko said Tharoor’s praise of Modi was “untimely and irresponsible” and hinted at the party taking a serious note of the issue.
“He (Tharoor) has got a habit of speaking in an untimely and irresponsible manner… The party does not share his views,” Chacko said.
Recalling that Tharoor had earlier also gone against the party line on this, Chacko said “this is neither good for him nor the party.”
Hinting that the party would take seriously the laudatory remarks Tharoor had made on Modi at Kolkotta, Chacko said, “I don’t know in what context he had said but his views are not shared by the Congress.”
Speaking at a book launch function, Tharoor had yesterday seemingly praised Modi for his gesture of congratulating him after winning the Lok Sabha elections, saying he did not expect him to reach out after their “nasty” spat.
Incensed by his praise of Modi, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee in October last recommended action against Tharoor following which he was dropped from the panel of national spokespersons.
The state unit had then held that Tharoor had deeply hurt the sentiments of the party workers who worked hard for his victory from Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat for second term.