Thiruvananthapuram: All eyes and ears are focused on the ‘unstoppable’ Shashi Tharoor, the four-term MP from the State capital after the Congress High Command has issued a gag order on ‘all’ leaders from Kerala.
UDF allies have welcomed the gag order and said that they were irked at the Congress speaking against one-another at a time when unity was needed the most. Kerala goes to polls to the local bodies this year and the Assembly elections the next.
After summoning all the leaders to Delhi, especially Shashi Tharoor and faction group chiefs, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi cautioned them “not to go against party line and disrespect the people of Kerala”.
According to sources, Rahul said he is emotionally connected to the state and the people. “They are yearning for a change and we should be careful about our strategies. We should not do anything wrong against the party line,” sources quoted him as saying.
Later, speaking to the media in Delhi Friday evening, Kerala in-charge Deepa Dasmunshi said, in an obvious reference to Tharoor, “if anyone says anything personally... we will take strong action,” she said. She was flanked by Tharoor and Opposition leader VD Satheesan.
Sources said three top leaders questioned Tharoor’s public comments. Targeting Tharoor, the leaders said his public comments damaged the party.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said that no leaders will have the right to make out-of-line statements in the media.
When asked if the censure is directed at Tharoor, Dasmunshi said: “Why are you only pinpointing Tharoor? So many others made personal views. It has been told generally to everyone.” Tharoor kept smiling. He had earlier said that nobody can stop him from airing his views.
Dasmunshi also ruled out a leadership change in the state unit. That would mean K Sudhakaran will continue as the president.
