Tharoor accepts Congress' decision to relieve him as party spokesperson(Update)

Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor on Monday accepted his party's decision to relieve him of his responsibilities as the spokesperson.

"I have seen the press release issued by the AICC, and, as a loyal worker of the Congress party, accept the decision of the party president to relieve me of my responsibilities as a spokesman," said a press release issued by Tharoor.

The Congress MP emphasized that his interest lies in serving the people and his constituency from where he has been elected to Parliament, and said he will fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to him by the party.

"I am in politics to serve the people of India, and my constituency, Thiruvananthapuram, through my service to the Congress Party. This, I have always done with utmost sincerity and commitment, and I will continue to do so. Whatever responsibilities the party has entrusted to me, I have fulfilled without reservation, and I fully recognize it is the prerogative of the party to alter these responsibilities," he said.

Terming this matter as closed, Tharoor, however, said he would have welcomed an opportunity to respond to the KPCC complaint.

"While I have not yet seen the KPCC complaint referred to, and while I would have welcomed an opportunity to respond to it and draw the attention of the AICC leadership to the full range of my statements and writings on contemporary political issues, I am now treating this matter as closed and have no further comment to make," he added.

Earlier today, the Congress relieved Tharoor from his duties as the party spokesperson.

According to reports, the decision was taken after the Congress' Kerala unit complained against Tharoor's conduct and behaviour to the party high command.

Earlier this month, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) had taken disciplinary action against Tharoor, accusing him of praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies.

The KPCC had also spoken out against Tharoor after he had accepted the Prime Minister's invitation to join the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'.

Prime Minister Modi, who launched the Swachh Bharat campaign on October 2, had invited Tharoor to join the drive to clean India.

Tharoor, while accepting the Prime Minister's invitation, had said that he was honoured to accept the invitation to join the campaign.