Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has addressed his absence from a crucial party meeting focused on the upcoming winter session of Parliament. The meeting, led by Sonia Gandhi, was held on Sunday to strategize for the parliamentary session. Tharoor clarified on Monday that his missed attendance was unintentional, explaining that he was on a flight returning from Kerala during the scheduled meeting time.
His absence had sparked discussions within political circles. Responding to inquiries, the Lok Sabha MP stated, “I did not skip it; I was on a plane, coming from Kerala.” His office had previously indicated that he was traveling back from Kerala with his elderly mother on a later flight.
This is not the first instance of Tharoor missing a significant party gathering. He had previously missed a Congress meeting concerning the SIR issue, citing ill health at that time. His subsequent attendance at a government event addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, just a day after missing the SIR meeting, had drawn scrutiny from some within his party. Further fueling internal debate were Tharoor’s earlier social media posts expressing admiration for the Prime Minister, which had faced criticism from fellow party members. The dynamics of Tharoor’s relationship with the Congress party have been a subject of public discussion for some time, particularly following his occasional praise for Prime Minister Modi after specific national events.
