Attend, Don't Just Write Articles: Mallikarjun Kharge's Lighthearted Dig At Shashi Tharoor

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge took a lighthearted jab at party MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday, telling him to attend an event around Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary and not just write newspaper articles, sources said. 

The Congress and Tharoor, who is a four-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram and one of its most recognisable faces, have had an uneasy relationship at times, especially over his perceived support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on certain issues. 

One such situation arose after Operation Sindoor last year, when the MP disregarded objections from his party and led one of seven delegations that travelled abroad to expose Pakistan's role in terrorist attacks in India.

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Later the same year, Tharoor ruffled feathers within the Congress when he wrote an article against 'dynastic politics', an issue that has often been used by the BJP to target the party and the Nehru-Gandhi family. 

At the meeting of the Congress Working Committee on Tuesday, a discussion began on when the Congress or the Opposition INDIA alliance should hold a rally. Tharoor suggested that this should be done on October 2, Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary. 

Kharge reacted immediately, a source revealed, gesturing towards Tharoor and saying, "You must attend it. Don't just end up writing articles in newspapers that we read later." 

Tharoor did not say anything and nodded his agreement.

'Not Too Far Behind'

Another such lighthearted moment arose when Congress President Kharge told Rahul Gandhi not to worry, as the entire Congress stood behind him. Gandhi quipped, "Standing behind is fine, but let's hope they are not too far behind." 

Read : M Kharge Calls Poll Panel Chief A 'Puppet', Lists 5 Demands At Congress Meet

Gandhi, the sources said, noted that while people used to be sceptical when he spoke about vote theft in the past, that perception has changed. He hinted that even those present in the meeting had shared that scepticism and emphasised that whereas only 20% of people used to believe the allegations earlier, the figure is 80% today - a testament to the Congress' success. 

He also said that the media, which did not believe his claims, has started doing so and conducting its own investigations and reporting on these stories, ensuring the issue receives widespread coverage. 

An Indian Express report last week stated that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised questions about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls but their concerns were not addressed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The Congress and other Opposition parties have accused the Election Commission of favouring the BJP and stated they will move a motion to impeach Kumar. 

The BJP, pointing to clarifications by the Election Commission, has alleged that Opposition parties have been trying to make an issue out of nothing because people are not voting for them and they are losing elections.