Shashi Tharoor says he has differences of opinion with some in Congress leadership
Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 19 (PTI): Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Shashi Tharoor on Thursday said he has differences of opinion with some in the party leadership, but he is not going to speak about them in light of the bypoll in the Nilambur constituency.
Speaking to reporters here, Tharoor-- who came under attack from some party colleagues for supporting the Modi government's stand following the Pahalgam terror attack -- said that the Congress, its values, and its workers are very dear to him.
He said he has worked closely with party workers for 16 years and regards them as close friends and brothers.
"However, I do have differences of opinion with some in the Congress leadership. You know what I am talking about, as some of those issues are there in the public domain and have been reported by you (media)," Tharoor said.
He did not clarify whether his differences of opinion were with the national or state leadership. The Thiruvananthapuram MP indicated that he might talk about those differences after the bypoll results.
Tharoor's remarks come at a time when the Congress has not publicly backed him, after a party leader described him as the "super spokesperson of the BJP.
Former Congress MP Udit Raj had termed Tharoor as the "super spokesperson" of the BJP over his remarks during his international delegation visits when he allegedly said that India crossed the LoC for the first time in 2015.
Responding to the same, Tharoor on Thursday termed it as a "misconception".
He also said that he decided not to enter into an argument over it as he was very busy with the delegation visits and he did not want to respond to statements which were made without understanding what he had said.
On being asked whether he was going to leave the party, he said he was "not going anywhere".
"I am a member of the Congress party. Let the party decide what it thinks about me," he said.
Asked why he was not part of the by-poll campaign, Tharoor said he was not invited to it as was the practice during the other by-elections, including the one in Wayanad held last year.
"I do not go where I am not invited," he said and added that he wants the party workers' campaign efforts to bear fruit and the UDF candidate to win from Nilambur.
He also said that he was probably not needed in Nilambur. "If I was needed there, I would have gone there".
Regarding his recent talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tharoor said it was regarding the delegations' visits to various countries in connection with Operation Sindoor and the discussions held there.
"No domestic politics were discussed," he said.
Defending his decision to accept the Centre's invite to head one of the delegations, he said that when he became the chairman of the External Affairs Committee of the Parliament, he had made it clear that he was focused on India's foreign policy and its national interest and not the foreign policy of the Congress and BJP.
"I have not changed my line. When an issue concerning the nation comes up, we are all obligated to work and speak for the country. What I said during Operation Sindoor was my own opinion.
"The Centre asked for my services. Indeed, my party did not. So, I proudly did my duty as an Indian citizen," he said.
He further said that he was trusted four times by the people of Thiruvananthapuram to represent them and he has been working for them.
"When we take up a responsibility, we need to see it through with confidence and sincerity. That is what I have done all my life. The central government gave me a responsibility and I saw it through with the same sincerity. If such opportunities come again, I will be there," he said.
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
