Shashi Tharoor meets Kharge, Rahul in Parliament amid reports of rift with Congress high command

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday met party President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi amid reports of differences between him and the party high command.

The meeting between the leaders lasted 30 minutes at Kharge's office in the Parliament, according to reports. The meeting today follows Tharoor skipping an important All India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting to discuss preparations for the upcoming Kerala Assembly polls.

Tharoor, however, said that he had informed his party leaders about his intention not to attend the meeting beforehand. The Congress leader had informed the leadership that he wouldn't be able to attend the meeting, which had already been postponed, due to his prior commitments at the Kerala Literature Festival. Tharoor had gone to the festival to speak on his latest book, Sree Narayana Guru.

On 24 January, Tharoor signalled that there are some "issues" with him and the party, and he would like to discuss them with the party's leadership.

"Whatever issues there are, I would have to discuss them with the party leadership, and I look forward to the opportunity to do so. I'm not entering into this issue in public at all," the former Union Minister said.

However, he added that certain media reports about him skipping the meeting "might be true, while others may not be", such things should not be discussed on a public platform.

"It is better to convey concerns directly to the party leadership. Several things have appeared in the media, some of which may be true while others may not be, and that such matters should not be discussed on public platforms. I had informed the party in advance that I would not be attending the programme and whatever I have to say will be said within the party," he said, while at the Kerala literature festival.

Tharoor's absence from key meetings came a few days after he was reportedly 'ignored' by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at the party's "Mahapanchayat" organised in Kochi, Kerala, on January 19.

Rahul Gandhi had entered the venue while Tharoor was addressing the Maha Panchayat. While Gandhi, along with KC Venugopal, greeted multiple party leaders, no direct greeting was given to Tharoor.

Tharoor felt "deeply insulted" as Gandhi mentioned several other leaders on stage but not him, despite his presence. The Congress party denied any internal issues, stating Tharoor had prior commitments at the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode.

Tharoor, a Congress MP from Kerala and a former Union Minister, has, with his remarks, seemingly riled his party for showing support for the Narendra Modi government over recent military actions across the border in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during Operation Sindoor.

Some Congress leaders even accused Tharoor of being a ‘super spokesperson’ for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

On June 10, Tharoor called his meeting with Prime Minister Modi “good, lively and informal”. PM Modi met the members of the all-party delegations of Operation Sindoor at his residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, in New Delhi.

(With ANI inputs)