Tharoor back in campaign spotlight as Congress signals thaw in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI) A thaw was visible in Shashi Tharoor's strained ties with Congress leaders in Kerala after his meeting with Rahul Gandhi, with a prominent state leader on Friday naming the Thiruvananthapuram MP a star campaigner for the party-led UDF in the upcoming polls.
Tharoor met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Thursday to seek redress for his grievances, after which he said "all is good" and "we are all on the same page", signalling a rapprochement with his party ahead of the crucial Kerala Assembly polls.
"He (Tharoor) will be in the front row of the campaign initiated by the UDF in Kerala for the elections," Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, told reporters here in response to a query.
Describing Tharoor as a global citizen and a noted writer, Satheesan said he has a strong connect with the people.
"So, he will be at the forefront of the election campaign. He is also part of the Congress party in Kerala and will be more active in the state because of the elections. For the next two months, he will be here," Satheesan said.
He added that the party is planning to take him to all 140 assembly constituencies in Kerala.
Last week, Tharoor skipped a key Kerala poll strategy meeting amid reported disappointment over being sidelined, with the tipping point said to be Rahul Gandhi not acknowledging him at a Kochi event.
Sources said Gandhi named other senior leaders on stage but did not mention Tharoor, a four-time MP and CWC member, triggering fresh unease.
He also faced criticism last year over remarks on India-Pakistan tensions, though Tharoor has maintained his views align with the party and support bipartisan foreign policy.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
