Had good conversation with Rahul Gandhi, says Tharoor

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 19 (PTI) Stating that he had a ‘very good conversation’ with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on February 18, party working committee member and MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday said much ado was being created about an issue based on his article in an English daily.

Talking to reporters on his return from New Delhi after a meeting with Gandhi, he said he could convey certain key issues during the half-an-hour conversation.

To repeated questions, the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha member said he cannot divulge further details of the one-to-one closed-door meeting. There was no discussion about the coming elections or the role of leaders in Kerala, he said.

Asked about the continuing criticism from Congress leaders in Kerala about his article, Tharoor said he is at a loss to understand the reason for the controversy.

“I have no issues with any of the leaders in the state. If they have issues, let them decide whether it is solved or not,” he said.

Answering a query if he had complained about sidelining him in the party at the state and national levels, Tharoor said, “I have never made any complaint against anyone.”

He said the controversy over his article praising the Left Front government in Kerala for investment-friendly policies and startup programmes had ‘done some good’ as it had opened a scope for discussion on the issue.

“For the last 16 years, I have been talking about Kerala youth migrating to other countries due to unemployment and the need for startups and promotion of entrepreneurship in the state,” he said.

Tharoor said he wrote the article not based on any CPI(M) document, but the global startup ecosystem report and ease of doing business report of the Centre. “If there is a more reliable source, I am ready for correction,” he said.

“However, some leaders have differences of opinion on the reports and it is good that a discussion has started on the issue, creating a platform for different political parties and the people to voice their opinion,” he said.

“These are things we should discuss in politics–the future of the people and how we can take care of them. It is of no use if we talk about party politics only,” the Congress MP said.

Gandhi had invited Tharoor for a meeting after a controversy erupted over his article praising LDF government in Kerala for promoting entrepreneurship, which was outrightly rejected by the state Congress and other opposition leaders in the state.