New Delhi, July 21 (IANS) Following senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan’s declaration that party MP Shashi Tharoor was ‘no longer part of them’ and the latter would not be invited for any programme organised by the state party unit, this has added fuel to fire with the political space abuzz with speculations of Thiruvananthapuram MP planning his ‘next move’.

Tharoor led the nation’s diplomatic outreach in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, praising Prime Minister Modi government’s policy of putting the ‘nation first’ and punishing the perpetrators by going deep in enemy’s territory but as expected it drew Congress’ ire.

With Muraleedharan publicly snubbing Tharoor, this has only widened the rift between him and party’s Kerala unit.

Many leaders, including those from outside the Congress, spoke about the latter’s internal divide and called it another example of Gandhi family’s supremacy, even if it comes at the expense of others.

Shiv Sena Spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam said that if Shashi Tharoor leaves the Congress, it will be a loss for the Congress, not for the lawmaker.

“It is Congress’ misfortune that it failed to recognise the value of a sharp orator, popular leader and internationally acclaimed personality like Shashi Tharoor,” Nirupam added.

Susieben Shah, another Shiv Sena leader, claimed that the Congress is scared of its own party MP because of his towering stature.

“The Congress is scared, especially Rahul Gandhi, because he doesn’t like a politician who speaks more sensible than him. Shashi Tharoor is a true nationalist and patriot, he has always spoken in interest of the nation, including during ‘Operation Sindoor’. That’s why he stands with PM Modi and the NDA.”

Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said that Tharoor was doing ‘national service’ and it was in line with previous precedents when the Opposition as well as Treasury members put up a united stand, defending the nation on foreign soil.

“I don’t think Shashi Tharoor did anything wrong if he praised his country while abroad. When former PM late Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji went abroad, didn’t he praise the then government? Was that wrong? Today, if Tharoor ji has done the same and people are criticising him for it, then I must say, without a doubt, that this reflects the narrow-mindedness of the Congress party,” he added.

Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury sought to distance herself from the row, claiming that Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was mature enough to decide for himself.

“Shashi Tharoor is a very intelligent person. The language he speaks is sometimes difficult for us to understand. So, he must be doing things thoughtfully. He is mature enough.”

The comments by state unit Congress leader Muraleedharan that sparked a row read, “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.”

–IANS

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