Nation first, parties are means to make country better: Shashi Tharoor

Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said that nation comes first and parties are the means of making the country better.

Tharoor, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, said that the objective of a party is to create a better India and parties have the right to disagree on the best way to do that.

He also said that he will stand his ground regarding supporting the nation's armed forces and the government as he believes "this is the right thing for the country".

"Which is your first loyalty? To my mind, the nation comes first. Parties are a means of making the nation better. So, to my mind, whichever party you belong to, the objective of the party is to create a better India in its own way.

"Now, parties have every right to disagree about the best way of doing that.. As you know, a lot of people have been very critical of me because of the stand I have taken, supporting our armed forces and our government, and what happened recently in our country and our borders," he said, while speaking at a private event here on 'Peace, Harmony and National Development'.

"But I will stand my ground, because I believe this is the right thing for the country," the Congress MP added.

During his speech, he further said that politics is unfortunately or otherwise, in any democracy, about competition.

"As a result, when people like me say we respect our parties, we have certain values and convictions that keep us in our parties, but we need to cooperate with other parties in the interests of national security, sometimes the parties feel that its disloyal to them and that becomes a big problem," he said.

Later, on the sidelines of the event, he told reporters that "nation first was always my philosophy".

He said that he came back to India only to serve the nation in whatever he can, through and outside politics.

"I have tried to do that," he said.

On being asked whether he has any problems with the Congress high command, he said he was not here to discuss any politics or problems.

"I came to give two speeches. Both the speeches were on themes I hope the public will respect and value. First one was about development, the role of businesses and peace and harmony.

"The second was mainly on the theme of communal harmony and trying, at the same time, to live together in order for all of us to grow and develop. Inclusive development has been my theme throughout my 16 years in politics and I believe in inclusiveness and in development. I also believe in national security and national interest," he said.

Regarding the recent survey controversy, Tharoor said he frankly does not know who carries out such surveys.

"Someone forwarded it to me and I did a salute as a reply. I did not have anything more to say and I made no comment and I am not making any comment," he said.

He was replying to a reporter's query regarding a survey which suggested he is the Congress-led UDF's most preferred choice for chief minister.