Thiruvananthapuram:
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday accepted his decision to accept the Center’s invitation, which stood against Pakistan on terrorism against Pakistan to lead a multi-party delegation abroad, saying “I do not see any politics in it”.
At the same time, he denied any knowledge about any name suggested by the Congress for the delegation, saying that it was between the party and the central government.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Tharoor said that the Union’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju recently invited him to lead the delegation in view of his previous experience in handling foreign affairs and “I immediately agreed”.
The Congress MP of Thiruvananthapuram said, “I do not see any politics in it. According to me, when we have a nation, I have politics. We all become important. We are all Indians. When the nation is in crisis and the central government seeks the help of a citizen, what will you answer,” said the Congress MP of Thiruvananthapuram.
He further said that everyone saw an 88 -hour -long battle with Pakistan and therefore, “We all need a role what the world is saying about us”.
“It’s in the feeling that I agreed to,” said Mr. Tharoor.
Asked by reporters whether the Congress was unhappy with his decision and why it issued the names of those who had suggested for the delegation, Mr. Tharoor said that the media should prepare these questions for the grand old party.
“You have to ask him (Congress),” he said that when asked if the party has any reservation about leading the delegation.
He also said that when he initially received a call from Rijiju, he invited him to lead the delegation, informing the party about it.
On the questions of reporters whether the party was trying to insult the names suggested by it for the delegation, Mr. Tharoor said that he could not be insulted so easily. “I know my price,” he said.
He said that the Center asked for his service for the nation and he was always ready for it.
“National service is the duty of every citizen,” he said.
The Congress MP further said that when the country is attacked, “We all speak in a voice and unite together, according to me it is good for the nation”.
The Central Government has named Shri Tharoor as a leader of one of the seven multi-party delegations for India’s national consent and firm approach to combat terrorism in all forms and expressions and take the message of zero tolerance against terrorism.
Reacting to Vikas, Jeram Ramesh, in the Congress General Secretary in -charge, said in the first day that there was a difference between “being in Congress and Congress”.
He also said that in a democratic system, when individual MPs are sent as part of an official delegation, MPs should seek the party’s consent.
Mr. Ramesh also said that the party nominated former Union Minister Anand Sharma, which was nominated by the party’s Deputy Leader, Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain and Lok Sabha MP Raja Brar for the names of four MPs from the government.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is published by a syndicated feed.)
