Praised PM Modi’s meeting with US Prez Trump in national interest: Shashi Tharoor
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 15 (PTI): Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday defended his praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his meeting with US President Donald Trump, stating that he spoke with India's interests in mind and that "we cannot always speak only in terms of party interest."
Speaking to reporters, Tharoor said that Modi’s US visit had yielded some positive outcomes for the Indian people.
He also noted that Modi being the fourth world leader to meet Trump after he took office underscored India's growing importance on the global stage.
At the same time, he pointed out that the visit left some questions unanswered, such as why the issue of how illegal immigrants were returned to India was not addressed.
"Did PM Modi raise it behind closed doors? In diplomacy, not everything is laid out publicly," said Tharoor, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram.
Welcoming the agreement to hold trade and tariff negotiations over the next nine months, Tharoor remarked, "It's far better than Washington hastily and unilaterally imposing tariffs on us, which could have hurt our exports. To my mind, something good has been achieved, and I applaud that as an Indian. We can't always speak only in terms of party interests. I am not a party spokesman."
Tharoor emphasised that as an elected MP representing Thiruvananthapuram, he speaks as a responsible stakeholder in Indian democracy and on behalf of those who have placed their trust in him to exercise his judgment and speak fairly and freely on certain issues.
"In this particular case, I am speaking solely in the national interest," he added.
Tharoor further stated that throughout his 16-year political career, his approach has remained consistent; acknowledging and praising good governance, regardless of the party in power, while also criticising when necessary.
"When someone in government, whether from the Congress or any other party, does something right, it should be acknowledged and praised. When they do something wrong, it should be criticised," he said.
"I have done both—I have praised and I have criticised. In fairness, I base my stance on facts. That I believe is the right approach."
He added that consistently praising or criticising the government would undermine his credibility.
"If I were to praise all the time, no one would take me seriously. If I were to criticise all the time, no one would take me seriously either," he explained.
Tharoor also criticised the tendency of political parties to oppose each other reflexively.
"The real problem arises when the opposition believes everything the government does is wrong, and when the government believes everything the opposition says is wrong," he said.
"There has to be some give and take in a democracy," he added.
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Noida airport to begin ops next month with IndiGo flights to Lucknow, Bengaluru
Noida (PTI): IndiGo on Thursday announced that it will start commercial flight operations from the Noida International Airport in Jewar from June 15, becoming the launch carrier for the greenfield airport in western Uttar Pradesh.
The first day flights will be to and fro Lucknow and Bengaluru, the airline said in a statement.
Noida International Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28.
IndiGo said it will be the first carrier to start commercial services from the airport, the third in the National Capital Region (NCR).
According to the airline, inaugural flights on June 15 will operate on the Lucknow-Noida-Bengaluru-Noida-Lucknow sector.
As per the announced schedule, flight 6E 2278 will depart from Lucknow at 7.05 am and arrive in Noida at 8.05 am before departing for Bengaluru at 8.35 am and landing there at 11.05 am.
The return flight, 6E 2279, will leave Bengaluru at 3.45 pm and reach Noida at 6.20 pm before departing for Lucknow at 6.55 pm and arriving there at 8 pm.
IndiGo said it will gradually introduce direct flights connecting Noida International Airport to more than 16 destinations across the country, including metro cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, besides tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Jaipur, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Pantnagar and Srinagar.
The airline said bookings for the flights are being opened in phases through its website, mobile application and authorised travel partners.
Aloke Singh, Chief Strategy Officer of IndiGo, said the airline was pleased to announce the launch of operations from Noida International Airport.
"Strategically positioned on the Yamuna Expressway, Noida International Airport will be the new gateway for western Uttar Pradesh alongside the NCR. As we continue to expand our operations, we remain committed to delivering affordable, on-time and hassle-free travel experiences," Singh said.
IndiGo said the airport is expected to emerge as a major domestic aviation hub and will strengthen connectivity between Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh through integrated road and rail infrastructure.
