Elderly Congress leader K. Muraleedharan reignited his attack on party colleague Shashi Tharoor on Sunday, saying that Tharoor will no longer be invited to party functions in Thiruvananthapuram if he did not change his perception on national security.
Talking to the media, Muraleedharan — a strong critic of Tharoor in the past few months — claimed the CWC member is "no longer one of us" among the state party leadership. He also made it clear that any disciplinary action against Tharoor would be up to the Congress high command.
"Until he (Tharoor) softens his stand, we won't extend an invitation to him for any party programme in Thiruvananthapuram. He is not with us, hence there is no issue of him boycotting an event," Muraleedharan claimed.
His statement was made after Tharoor's unshakeable stand on national security matters. A day before, during a function in Kochi, Tharoor had clearly stated that his dedication to the nation took precedence over party lines.
Many people have attacked me for backing the armed forces and the government on what is happening at the borders lately. But I will not back down, because I think this is the proper thing for the nation," Tharoor had stated.
He explained further: "Which is your first allegiance? In my mind, the country first. Parties are a way of enhancing the country. So whatever party you are in, the goal of that party is to make a better India in its own manner."
Tharoor has also tackled the criticism he received from his party for calling for cooperation with other opposition parties in national security issues. "When someone like me says work together in the country's interest, our own parties think that's a treasonous thing to say. That's a problem," he stated.
Muraleedharan's recent comments are evidence of simmering tensions within the Kerala Congress group. He had earlier condemned Tharoor for posting a survey indicating that he was the United Democratic Front's strongest candidate for Chief Minister, saying that Tharoor needed to "first decide which party he belongs to.
The divide grew sharper after Tharoor’s remarks on the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which some Congress leaders viewed as out of sync with the party line, prompting internal backlash. Tharoor’s article in a Malayalam publication, which offered a critical view of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s role during the Emergency, further aggravated tensions.
Muraleedharan has asked Tharoor to rethink his role in the party. "If he feels stifled in the Congress, he should opt for a sharp political trajectory," he had said before.
The tension between the two veteran leaders reflects deeper ideological fault lines and leadership tensions in the Congress, particularly in Kerala, where Tharoor continues to enjoy popular support in the face of opposition from within.
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