Shashi Tharoor

Tharoor slams BJP, says 'attack-dog' behaviour embarrassment to India

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday slammed the BJP after the US rejected the ruling party's allegations that elements in the American "deep state" were behind attempts to destabilise India and said this "attack-dog" behaviour is an embarrassment to India. The US on Saturday rejected the BJP's allegations that organisations funded by the US State Department and elements in the American "deep state" were behind attempts to destabilise India through targeted attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business tycoon Gautam Adani. A spokesperson at the US embassy described the allegations as "disappointing" and asserted that the US government has been a champion of media freedom around the world. The BJP alleged on Thursday that the US deep state colluded with the media portal OCCRP (Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to "damage" India's image. In a post in X, Tharoor said, "It's clear the BJP neither understands democracy n

Cong MP calls for law to ensure fair wages, job security for gig workers

Congress MP B Mannickam Tagore Wednesday called for legislation to protect gig economy workers by ensuring fair wages, job security and social benefits for them. He raised the issue during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, highlighting the plight of gig economy workers, which he termed a human rights issue rather than a labour issue. "I want to bring your attention to the plight of gig economy workers particularly those at Amazon India, including the warehouse staff and delivery persons who are protesting against unfair wages and unsafe working conditions. These workers earn less than Rs 10,000 a month while enduring long hours and immense pressure. "Amazon claims to offer PF and insurance but the reality is far from these promises. The ongoing protest during the Black Friday event underscores the inequality in our economy and exploitation faced by these workers," he said. The MP from Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu said it is "our duty to stand with our workers and push for a meaningful ...

MEA to brief Parliamentary Standing Committee on Bangladesh: Tharoor

Ministry of External Affairs officials will brief the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs on the situation in Bangladesh on December 11, panel's chairperson Shashi Tharoor said on Thursday, expressing concern over the "troubling" developments in the neighbouring country. Tharoor's remarks come days after India noted with "deep concern" the arrest and denial of bail to Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das, and urged authorities in the neighbouring country to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all other minority groups. Asked whether the panel has sought a briefing from the MEA on the Bangladesh situation, Tharoor said, "Yes, we have, we will be having a briefing on Bangladesh in a couple of weeks time on December 11. Next week, there are pending issues on which the foreign secretary will brief us on." Speaking on the Bangladesh situation, Tharoor said, "It seems very grave and troubling. All Indians will be concerned because it is a next door neighbou

'Machines not the problem, it's electoral machinery': Tharoor on EVMs issue

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor defended EVMs after Maharashtra Assembly elections, but raised concerns about the integrity of the 'electoral process' in the country

As Delhi chokes, Shashi Tharoor asks if the capital deserves a new home

'Our government has been witnessing this nightmare for years and does nothing about it,' said Shashi Tharoor

Tharoor initiates children into writing first letters on 'Vidyarambham'

In Kerala, Vijayadasami is observed as the day of Vidyarambham, the beginning of learning

Remark against PM Modi: SC to hear Shashi Tharoor's plea in defamation case

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor against a Delhi High Court verdict that refused to quash defamation proceedings against him for his alleged "scorpion on Shivling" remark targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While hearing Tharoor's plea on September 10, the apex court had stayed the proceedings before a trial court in the defamation case filed against the Congress MP. The top court had also issued notice to the Delhi Police and BJP leader Rajiv Babbar, who is the complainant in the case, seeking their responses on the plea. As per the cause list of October 14 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti is slated to hear Tharoor's plea. The Congress MP has moved the top court against the high court's August 29 order which refused to quash the defamation proceedings against him. During the hearing on September 10, Tharoor's counsel told the apex court that the complainant cannot be said

Tharoor to lead external affairs committee; Digvijaya to chair edu panel

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor will head the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs and veteran leader Digvijaya Singh will head the panel on education, party sources said on Thursday. Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi will lead the parliamentary standing committee on agriculture and Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka will head the panel on rural development. Channi, who is a Dalit, and Ulaka, who hails from a tribal community, were chosen by the party with social justice being the centrepiece of all recent appointments. The leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has been stressing the participation of the deprived sections in governance and calling for the party organisation to be more inclusive. The sources said the Congress has forwarded the names of the four leaders to head the four department-related parliamentary standing committees it has been assigned to lead. While there has been no official notification on the chairship of the .

SC stays proceedings against Shashi Tharoor over remarks against PM Modi

The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed proceedings before a trial court against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in a defamation case lodged against him for his alleged "scorpion on Shivling" remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and R Mahadevan issued notice to the Delhi government and the complainant in the case. The notice is returnable in four weeks. Tharoor has moved the top court against Delhi High Court order which refused to quash defamation proceedings against him on August 29. The Congress leader had sought setting aside of the trial court's April 27, 2019 order summoning him as an accused in the criminal defamation complaint filed by Rajiv Babbar as also the November 2, 2018 complaint. The criminal complaint was filed against Tharoor in the trial court by Babbar, who claimed that his religious sentiments were hurt by the Congress leader's statement. In October 2018, Tharoor had claimed that an unnamed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor highlights India's growing global influence

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor emphasised India's importance as a global economic and political power during a conversation here at Rice University's Baker Institute. India matters, Tharoor said, stressing that what happens in India affects a sixth of humanity. The Thiruvananthapuram Member of Parliament explained that India, now the third-largest economy in purchasing power parity, can no longer be ignored or underestimated on the world stage. Delivering a compelling talk on India's global influence, moderated by David Satterfield, the institute's director and former US ambassador to Lebanon and Turkiye, Tharoor highlighted how India's rise as the world's most populous nation and fastest-growing major economy positions it as a significant player in world affairs. Tharoor, who was visiting Houston as a prominent author and speaker at the seventh edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival from September 6-8, also addressed the geopolitical challenges faced by India, particularly its ...

Tharoor slams govt for not giving Oppn chairpersonship of key parl panels

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday hit out at the government over its "reluctance" to give the opposition chairpersonship of important parliamentary committees, and said it only reflects its growing insecurity, rather than any accumulation of wisdom or confidence after 10 years. The remarks by the four-time Thiruvananthapuram MP came over a media report which said the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees have not been constituted because of disagreements between the government and Opposition, on control of these panels. In a post on X, Tharoor said it is disappointing that the government appears to have no idea of the purpose of Parliamentary committees, which are to provide an additional layer of scrutiny and accountability for the government without the political grandstanding often associated with publicly-televised sessions of Parliament itself. "To attempt to deny opposition parties any say in matters of national importance and sensitivity, is to .

'Code names for women': Hema committee report shakes Malayalam cinema

The Hema committee, appointed by the Kerala government, highlighted issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, including unwanted physical advances even before commencing work

Every symbol of India-Bangladesh friendship is being attacked: Tharoor

A clash occurred on Tuesday between Bangladesh Army personnel and members of the minority Hindu community protesting with posters of their family members who went missing during the violence

Tharoor asks B'desh interim govt to restore law & order, protect minorities

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday urged Bangladesh's interim government to take urgent steps to restore law and order in the interest of all Bangladeshis of every faith, as he termed as "disgraceful" the attacks on the Indian cultural centre, temples and Hindu homes there. Former minister of state for external affairs Tharoor shared on X pictures from the 1971 Shaheed Memorial Complex in Bangladesh and said it was "sad to see images like this of statues" at the complex in Mujibnagar destroyed by anti-India vandals. "This follows disgraceful attacks on the Indian cultural centre, temples and Hindu homes in several places, even as reports came in of Muslim civilians protecting other minority homes and places of worship," Tharoor said in a post on X. "The agenda of some of the agitators is quite clear. It is essential that Muhammad Yunus and his interim government take urgent steps to restore law and order in the interests of all Bangladeshis, of every faith," he ...

Declare Wayanad landslide as calamity of severe nature: Tharoor to HM Shah

167 people have been declared dead in the aftermath of the landslides as per the Kerala Revenue Department

Niti Aayog meeting faces boycott from opposition leaders over budget woes

Chief ministers from Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Punjab, Jharkhand, and Kerala will be skipping the Niti Aayog meeting

Chidambaram, Tharoor laud angel tax end, call Budget 2024 'underwhelming'

Union budget 2024-25: Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor find Budget 2024 presentation full of missed opportunities, compared it Congress manifesto

Priyanka's presence in Parliament will be huge asset to Congress: Tharoor

Priyanka Gandhi's presence in the Lok Sabha would strengthen the opposition benches and Wayanad would have a very strong person to represent them in Parliament, Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor said on Tuesday. Tharoor, speaking to the PTI on the sidelines of his 'thanksgiving' campaign in Neyyattinkara Assembly constituency, said Priyanka has been a very effective orator during the election campaigns and he was happy that she decided to enter electoral politics from Kerala. "I think Rahulji absolutely had to keep Rae Bareli, it is a very important signal to the people of Uttar Pradesh and of North India in general. "At the same time, he did not want to feel that he was abandoning the people of Wayanad and it is better to entrust it to his own sister. So I think it is a wonderful decision," Tharoor said as he travelled through the constituency in an open vehicle, thanking the voters. He said the same was his preference for the last few weeks, when it was clear tha

Tharoor responds to Chandrasekhar's post about ending his public life

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor faced a tough contest from BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar. However, Tharoor has responded to Chandrasekhar's announcement on Sunday about stepping down from public life after 18 years. Chandrasekhar, who was a Minister of State in the previous Narendra Modi-led government, had initially posted on X about ending his public life but later clarified that he meant his tenure as a Member of Parliament and Minister of State had concluded. He promptly deleted his initial post--"Today curtains down on my 18-year stint in public service, of which three years I had the privilege to serve with PM @narendramodi ji's TeamModi2.0. I certainly didn't intend to end my 18 years of public service as a candidate who lost an election, but that's how it's turned out." Shortly thereafter, Chandrasekhar deleted the post and issued a new one saying that the earlier one was by an intern and it "created some confusion among a section of people ab

Don't see myself contesting another Lok Sabha election: Shashi Tharoor

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday said if the next Lok Sabha polls take place five years down the line, he does not see himself contesting another election for the Lower House as he believes that one needs to know when to step aside for the younger blood to come in. In Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat, Tharoor beat Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar by 16,077 votes to register his fourth straight victory from the constituency. Asked if this election was his electoral politics swansong, Tharoor told PTI, "Not electoral politics but certainly Lok Sabha. I think I have done my bit and I honestly feel that at some point, we all need to know when to step aside for younger blood to come in and have a crack at it." "The Lok Sabha is certainly a very important institution. I have done my very best for my constituents and I will continue doing so but there are ways of serving in public life without necessarily havin