Vijayan, Tharoor present at Vizhinjam port : Modi says it will give 'sleepless nights' to many
_vb_57.jpeg)
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a swipe at the Congress, saying the presence of its MP Shashi Tharoor at the commissioning of the Vizhinjam International Seaport here will give "sleepless nights" to many.
Modi's direct mention of Tharoor's presence at the event comes at a time when the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram is being accused by his own party colleagues of going soft on the BJP after the Pahalgam terror attack.
Tharoor has also been criticised by some Congress leaders for praising India's deft diplomacy on the Russia-Ukraine conflict under Modi's leadership.
The Prime Minister also described Kerala Chief Minister Vijayan, who was also present at the inauguration, as a "pillar" of the opposition INDIA bloc.
"I would like to say to our chief minister, you are a big and strong pillar of the INDI Alliance. Shashi Tharoor is also sitting here, and I would like to say that today's event will take away the sleep of many," Modi said.
However, the person translating his speech did not translate it properly, and it prompted Modi to say: "The message has gone across to whom it was meant".
Tharoor, who received Modi on his arrival on Thursday, posted on X:" Despite delays at the dysfunctional Delhi airport, managed to land in Thiruvananthapuram in time to receive Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his arrival in my constituency. Looking forward to his officially commissioning Vizhinjam port, a project I have been proud to have been involved with since its inception."
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala assembly V D Satheesan did not attend the commissioning of the Vizhinjam port, protesting the late invitation extended to him for the function.
Satheesan had expressed his ire against the government for not acknowledging the pivotal role played by the previous UDF government led by Oommen Chandy in establishing the port by signing an agreement with the Adani Group and carrying out the initial works.
In March, Tharoor praised the government's handling of the Russia-Ukraine war as an endorsement of India's deft diplomacy under Modi's leadership.
Tharoor was also criticised by his party colleague Udit Raj for his reported "no country has 100-per cent foolproof intelligence" remarks after the Pahalgam terror attack. Being a Congressman, how did Tharoor become the BJP's lawyer and give the ruling party a "clean chit" on the Pahalgam terror attack, Udit Raj wondered. Tharoor hit back at Raj, saying the latter is a former Bharatiya Janata Party MP and "is better qualified to understand who speaks for the BJP".
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.
No confusion in BJP-JD(S) alliance: Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru (PTI): Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday dismissed speculation over confusion in the BJP-JD(S) alliance, asserting that there was clarity within them and that discussions on the chief minister post were premature.
Addressing reporters at the party's state office, JP Bhavan, after chairing a preparatory meeting for the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) elections, he said the immediate priority was to remove what he termed an "anti-people government" in the state and to strengthen the alliance to face upcoming polls.
"This is not the time to discuss who should become the chief minister. There is still time for that. If we speak about it now, it would be like stitching the cradle even before the baby is born," Kumaraswamy said, underlining that leadership questions would be taken up at an appropriate time.
The JD(S) second-in-command said there is still a lot of work to be done and it was not appropriate to speak about such matters now.
"On the issue of alliance, both I and our party are open-minded. When the time comes, we will discuss it on the party platform and take a decision. There is no confusion regarding the alliance, and there will be no confusion in the future. This is my stand," Kumaraswamy said.
"There is a bad government in the state. My objective is to remove it and bring in a pro-people government. Removing this corrupt and bad government is my agenda. The JD(S) and BJP parties will work together to accomplish this task," he added.
Reiterating his stand, Kumaraswamy said, "My objective is to remove the anti-people government in the state. I have been saying this from the beginning."
On reports of internal differences over the alliance and the CM's position, the union minister said he would not respond to every statement made by individuals.
"Some people are speaking about the alliance and the chief minister's position. I do not feel the need to respond to them. If I start answering each of them, people may think I lack maturity. Therefore, I will not speak about it. We will strengthen the alliance together, face the elections together, and bring a pro-people government," he said.
Kumaraswamy added that discussions within parties were natural and not final.
He said there were still two years left for the Assembly elections while there were four to five months left for the local body elections.
The union minister said the JD(S) is also preparing for the municipal elections in Bengaluru city just as other parties.
He clarified that there had been no discussions so far between the two parties specifically on local body or GBA elections.
Earlier, the JD(S) leader chaired a meeting with Members of the Legislative Council, former MLAs and other leaders of his party to review preparations for the GBA elections.
_vb_63.jpeg)
