Senior Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor is all set to be honoured with France's highest civilian award Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur for his writings and speeches. Soon after the French Ambassador in New Delhi Emmanuel Lenain wrote to Tharoor informing about the award and the senior politician taking to Twitter to thank the French government, several Congress leaders congratulated him on the prestigious honour.
"As one who cherishes our relations with France, loves the language and admires the culture, I am honoured to be recognized in this way. My gratitude & appreciation to those who have seen fit to award me this distinction," Tharoor said in response to a tweet congratulating him on the award.
Congress's Kerala unit and the state's Youth Congress unit were among the few who congratulated Tharoor. Even Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wished Tharoor on the achievement.
Chowdhury said that he is in a state of "absolute euphoria" while coming to know that Tharoor is being conferred upon the highest civilian honour of France for his "extraordinary erudition and penetrative knowledge".
Responding to Chowdhury on Twitter, Tharoor said, "Thanks a lot @adhirinc. Recognition is always welcome, and your appreciation makes it all the more valuable." Congress leaders T S Singhdeo, Pradyut Bordoloi, Mohammad Jawaid, Praveen Chakravarty, and Indian Union Muslim League M K Muneer also congratulated Tharoor.
Meanwhile, the French Ambassador informed that honour will be conferred Tharoor during the next visit of any minister of France to India.
This is not for the first time that Tharoor is being conferred with such a prestigious award. In 2010, Tharoor had received a similar honour from the Spanish government when the King of Spain had bestowed upon him the ‘Encomienda de la Real Order Espanola de Carlos III’.