New Delhi: The Congress party in Kerala is facing fresh turmoil as senior leader K Muraleedharan declared that fellow Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Shashi Tharoor will not be invited to any party events in Thiruvananthapuram. This follows Tharoor’s remarks in support of the armed forces and the Centre on matters of national security, in which he asserted, “The nation comes before the party.”
Muraleedharan took exception not only to Tharoor’s comments but also to his article criticising former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s handling of the Emergency, which appeared in a Malayalam daily.
‘He is not with us anymore’
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Muraleedharan stated, “Till he changes his stance, we will not invite him to any programme held in the state capital. He is not with us, so the question of boycotting an event doesn’t arise.”
The rift widened following Tharoor’s Saturday appearance at an event in Kochi, where he reiterated his belief that national interest must come before party lines. He acknowledged criticism from within the Congress but maintained his ground, saying he believed he was doing the right thing for the country.
Friction over leadership and loyalty
Muraleedharan also criticised Tharoor for previously sharing a survey naming him as the most preferred Chief Ministerial face for the United Democratic Front (UDF), stating that Tharoor should first clarify which party he truly represents.
With Congress’s internal unity in the state crumbling, all eyes are now on how the Congress High Command in Delhi will handle this growing rift between two of its tallest leaders in Kerala. As of now, the high command is tight-lipped.
