Shashi Tharoor defends DK Shivakumar, says he talked about his support for other religions as well
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 9: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor backed Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday regarding his remarks about the Karnataka government celebrating the consecration of the Ram temple at Ayodhya across the state.
Reacting to a query on Shivakumar's statement on Monday, in which he defended his government's decision to celebrate the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple on January 22, saying "ultimately we are all Hindus," Tharoor said the Karnataka leader also expressed his respect for all religions.
Talking to PTI on the sidelines of a function here, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) member said: "We respect everyone's right to worship as you see fit, and that remains the Congress position."
He said the Congress party as such was not invited to the consecration ceremony but only three individual leaders of the party were given non-transferable invitations.
"They have announced that the invitations are for the named individuals only. And therefore it is not a party invitation. So it is for the named individuals to make a decision (on whether to participate in the function or not). Let us leave them the right to make their own decisions," Tharoor said.
He said the Congress party was very critical of what had happened to the Babri Masjid, and he had personally written against it, which happened 25 years ago.
"But once the Supreme Court took a decision, and the Supreme Court ruled on the matter, we said that was the end of the debate. There is no point now rehashing the past. The courts have taken a decision. Of course, a beautiful Masjid must also be built to compensate the worshipers of the Muslim community and the beautiful temple has also been built," Tharoor said.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP said he does not see the need to participate in a 'political function', as goes to the temples to pray and not to do politics.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi and the party's leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have received invitations for the consecration ceremony.
Tharoor said he would contest in Thiruvananthapuram if the party asked him to do so.
"I'm very grateful to have had the trust of the people of Thiruvananthapuram for three terms already. And it is up to the party to decide whether they'd like to ask me to do it once more. If so, I will certainly come back. I mean, I'm already here most of the time, but I will. I will be amongst the people and seek their confidence," he said.
Referring to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the CWC member said it is going to be a battle for the soul of India. The election would decide what type of India we wanted to create for future generations, he added.
"Is it going to be in India where we focus on what unites us, where we see the common humanity in all of us, where we don't allow ourselves to be divided by religion, by caste, by community, by language, and so on? Or is it going to be a divided India built on fear and intimidation by the government?
If it is the latter, India, then many of us will feel deeply deeply that the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and all those who accompanied them in the freedom struggle are being betrayed," Tharoor said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
