Govt stable in K'tka, BJP should accept its defeat: Shashi Tharoor

Asserting that BJP should now come in terms with its defeat, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday said that Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka is stable and safe.

"What's happening in Karnataka is wrong. Our government is stable and safe. BJP is trying to play the same game in Karnataka which it had played in other states. BJP had lost the election and it should accept the defeat with humility. Except for two independent MLAs all others are with the government," said Tharoor.

He also distanced himself from a comment made by Congress parliamentarian BK Hariprasad on Amit Shah's health condition and said, "It is not fine to talk badly about anyone's ailment. In my heart, I will only say that may God bless him with good health at the earliest and then we will continue fighting on the political front. We are only against BJP ideology and we wish best of health to their leaders."

On the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 14, Tharoor said: "I retweeted something which had many details of the award, among which was also the fact that this award hasn't been given to anyone ever before. Secondly, the award is related to some Aligarh based organization, the website of which was deleted a day later. Under any circumstance, it doesn't befit the stature of the Prime Minister to accept such an award. This Philip Kotler, on whose name this award is instated, is a marketing professor."

"Apart from this presidential award he had given sponsorship award to many sponsors. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name is being used for a commercial venture. It's bad that our Prime Minister's name is being used in such kind of racket. It would be better if the Prime Minister returns the award saying that he wasn't aware of these things before accepting it," Tharoor added.

The Award focuses on the triple-bottom-line of 'people, profit and planet'. It will be offered annually to the leader of a nation, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.