Shashi Tharoor speaks on G23, Congress' poll debacle, PM Modi and more

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has said that there is no “G” or "Ji Huzoori" in G-23. "It’s a name given by media…it was just that two-three friends who wrote a letter and whoever could come to Delhi to sign it during the lockdown. There is no ‘G’ in it nor Ji Huzoori,’ said Tharoor while talking to media in Jaipur just before the Congress Working Committee meeting in Delhi.

Tharoor admitted that it's been two years and there is not much of a change. He said, "Some friends just wanted that party should become strong and active and gave their suggestions. This is what they wanted to convey to revive the party. It’s been two years but there is not much of a change…that’s why we are saying that there should be some progress and change and there is no doubt that CWC will discuss all the issues."

On the question poll debacle, Tharoor admitted that it is a setback and said that many did not predict that BJP will return with a big mandate, but it should be seen that the vote share and seats of the Samajwadi party have increased.

On the question of a senior leader leaving the party, he said that I don’t deny any political colleague a right to leave the party for whatever reason that fails to fulfil his or her expectations from that party. But a party is above all the vehicles for your conviction, for principles and values, and those are what you are defending.

On PM Modi he said, "I think he is a man of tremendous vigour and dynamism. He has done some things that are very very impressive, especially politically. He has won elections that many of us assumed the party won't."

But on the negative side, Tharoor said that Modi has unleashed some forces in society that are dividing our nation on communal and religious ground, which to my mind is introducing toxin into our social ethos, which is unfortunate. "But I don’t want to personalize this, its not about an individual, but the ruling party and forces of the establishment and their ideology and ways of proceedings of which of course Modi is the most important part but he is only an individual and things are happening in the name of his the party and Parivar (family),’ said Tharoor.

Published on: Sunday, March 13, 2022, 06:39 PM IST