Shashi Tharoor Pulls Out Of CPI(M) Seminar After Failing To Get Nod From Sonia Gandhi
The party's Kerala unit has barred Tharoor and KV Thomas from attending the Left party's programme. The CPI(M) is the ruling party in Kerala.
New Delhi: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor pulled out of a seminar organised by CPI(M) after he was denied permission by the party leadership.
A row had erupted after Tharoor accepted an invitation by CPI(M) to attend various seminars ahead of its 23rd Party Congress, scheduled to be held at Kannur in the state from April 6-10.
The party's Kerala unit has barred Tharoor and KV Thomas from attending the Left party's programme. The CPI(M) is the ruling party in Kerala.
"I've discussed with the AICC President the matter of my particpation in the seminar on Centre-state relations on the sidelines of the CPI(M) National Party Congress...I respect her views on this matter and have conveyed to the organisers my inability to participate," Tharoor said in a statement.
"Broader questions of our relations with the CPI(M) at the national level, the specific topic of centre-state relations, and the manner in which invitations from other political parties should be handled, remain to be addressed separately," he said.
Tharoor said that a similar invitation was extended for a seminar during the CPM state conference a month ago.
"I consulted the AICC President and a suitable decision was taken without any media controversy. A similar procedure could easily have been followed this time also," the statement said.
"I regret that some preferred the unseemly public airing of internal differences, thereby creating a needless controversy in a matter in which AICC's view was binding. I hope wisdom will prevail in future," Tharoor said.
Reacting to the controversy, Congress' Kerala unit President K Sudhakaran said the party had barred its leaders from attending the programme as it was strongly fighting the CPI(M)-led government over the proposed K-Rail project, PTI reported.
However, Tharoor told the media that the topic of the seminar was not related to any issues pertaining to Kerala or K-Rail.
"The people do not like Congress leaders participating in the programme organised by the CPI(M). The Congress party members despise, loathe such leaders who associate with (Chief Minister) Pinarayi Vijayan, who is moving forward with the K-Rail project," PTI quoted Sudhakaran as saying.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the Left party had invited Congress leaders for various seminars but they were barred by the party's leadership.
"But they don't have any issues in joining hands with the BJP to protest against the state government," Balakrishnan said, referring to the opposition parties opposing the SilverLine project.
Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the Congress was taking stands favouring the BJP.
"It is the BJP's direction not to participate in the CPI(M) programmes. If they (Congress leaders) are ready to participate, we will welcome them. If they are not, then the political pauperism of the Congress party will be evident to the people of the state," Balakrishnan said.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has been staging widespread protests over the proposed ambitious semi-highspeed SilverLine rail project, also known as K-Rail, of the Left government.
(With PTI inputs)
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