Page 10 - Shashi Tharoor

Disappointed to hear of proceedings against journalists in Kerala: Tharoor

Congress leader also posted a picture carrying the famous quote of French writer Voltaire, "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor inaugurates Kerala's first Wi-Fi street in Kochi

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday inaugurated the Wi-Fi facility at Queen's Walkway in Kochi, making it the first Wi-Fi street in Kerala

British used 'classic mafiosi tactics' to expand in India: Tharoor

Senior Congress leader and author Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said the British had used what was a "classic mafiosi tactics" to expand its territory in India during the colonial era. He was speaking at an interaction held late evening at the India International Centre here on the book "British Takeover of India: Modus Operandi", recently republished after its original version had come out in 1979. Tharoor reiterated how the British came as traders to India, but realised it was "far more profitable, to trade at the end of a gun". He referred to the gradual fall of the Mughal empire, and how, at the Battle of Plassey in 1757, fought under the command of Robert Clive, the East India Company forces defeated the ruling Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula of Bengal. Soon, Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II granted the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to the Company. Tharoor, author of "An Era of Darkness: The British Empire In India", told the audience that the British extracted "four times more revenue" than

Tharoor slams BJP over Manipur, calls for imposition of President's rule

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said the voters of Manipur are feeling "grossly betrayed" just a year after putting the BJP in power and called for the imposition of President's rule in the state that has witnessed violent clashes. Violent clashes had broken out in Manipur last week between tribals and members of the majority Meitei community, which has so far displaced thousands of people and killed at least 54. In a tweet, Tharoor said, "As the Manipur violence persists, all right-thinking Indians must ask themselves what happened to the much-vaunted good governance we had been promised." "The voters of Manipur are feeling grossly betrayed just a year after putting the BJP in power in their state. It's time for President's Rule; the state government is just not up to the job they were elected to do," the former Union minister said. The clashes broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the ten hill districts of the state to protest against the ..

'The Kerala Story' controversy: Why are state leaders mulling for a ban?

The film deals with the story of a group of women from Kerala who were converted to Islam (either by force or were deceived) and go on to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)

The Kerala Story gets 'A' certificate from censor board, 10 scenes deleted

A scene, which is believed to have been cut included dialogues and inappropriate references to all Hindu Gods

Why has the upcoming movie 'The Kerala Story' courted controversy?

After the trailer of the movie, which showed a burqa-clad woman with the tagline 'Uncovering the truth that was kept hidden' was released, protests erupted in many parts of Kerala

Serious attempt to undermine every institution: MP Shashi Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has claimed there is a serious undermining of every autonomous institution right across the spectrum and it seems the government has only the "loyalty" criterion before appointing individuals to head them. In an interaction at the Press Club here on Saturday on 'The need for an independent media as a vital link for democracy', Tharoor said intimidation of the press was a legitimate issue, and if he has a voice in the party manifesto, he would certainly suggest that this should be made an issue and the party would stand for guaranteeing the freedom of press and non-interference. The MP from Kerala also said before the 2019 elections, he had warned that victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would result in an attempt to create a Hindu Pakistan. He said in the first few months after the BJP government stormed to power in 2019, he wasn't far off from his prediction as the government brought a legislation on triple talaq and the abolition of special

Serious attempt to undermine every autonomous institution: Shashi Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said right across the spectrum there is a serious undermining of every autonomous institution and it seems the government has only the "loyalty" criterion before appointing individuals to head them. In an interaction at Press Club here on 'The need for an independent media as a vital link for democracy', Tharoor said intimidation of the press was a legitimate issue, and if he has a voice in the party manifesto, he would certainly suggest that this should be made an issue and the party would stand for guaranteeing the freedom of press and non-interference. The MP from Kerala also said before the 2019 elections, he had warned that a victory for the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) would result in an attempt to create a Hindu Pakistan. He said in the first few months after the BJP government stormed to power in 2019, he wasn't far off from his prediction as the government brought legislation on triple talaq and the abolition of special provisions o

Karnataka tired of 40% commission, wants 100% commitment: Shashi Tharoor

Former union minister Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said people in Karnataka were tired of "40 per cent commission" and wanted "100 per cent commitment" that the Congress party would give if it were voted to power in the upcoming Assembly election. He also said that the Congress was prepared to tackle the "serious deficiencies" in state-level and urban-level governance in Bengaluru and the entire state of Karnataka. I think the people in this state are tired of the 40 per cent commission. What they want is 100 per cent commitment and that's what we will give 100 per cent commitment to the well-being of the people of Karnataka, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said at a press conference here. In poll-bound Karnataka where the Assembly election is just a month away, the Congress has been accusing the BJP-led state government of collecting 40 per cent commission from contractors, unaided private schools and even some religious institutions on the grants that they receive from the ...

Congress de facto 'fulcrum', Shashi Tharoor welcomes Opposition unity

Welcoming the recent "wave of Opposition unity", Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said the Congress will "de facto" be the fulcrum around which other parties converge, but asserted that if he were in the party leadership, he would not "crow about it" and encourage one of the smaller outfits to play the role of convenor of an alliance to take on the BJP in the 2024 general election. In an interview with PTI, Tharoor said Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha following his conviction in a 2019 defamation case has generated a "surprising wave of Opposition unity" with many parties having begun to feel the truth of the adage -- united we stand, divided we fall. The former Union minister also said if most of the Opposition parties have now found a new reason to come together and stop dividing each other's vote, the BJP might find it much harder to win a majority in the 2024 elections. Asked about Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's 'thank you Germany' tweet after that country

British writer, historian, academician Patrick French died in London at 56

British writer, historian and academician Patrick French died in London after battling cancer for four years on Thursday, his family said. French, best known for his biography of VS Naipaul, "The World Is What It Is", and "India: A Portrait", died at 8 am (London time), his wife Meru Gokhale said. "At 8.10 am this morning my beloved husband Patrick French passed away in London after a brave battle with cancer. He was an exceptional father, friend, husband, teacher and mentor to many. His kindness and love will stay with us forever. He went in peace, without suffering," Gokhale, former publisher at the Penguin Press Group, said. Among those who sent in their tributes were Congress MP and author Shashi Tharoor, and historians William Dalrymple and Ramachandra Guha.

BJP getting rattled by series of lectures: Tharoor, Gogoi defend Rahul

During his recent visit to London, Rahul Gandhi said at an event that the "US and Europe are not doing enough to restore democracy in India" as they are "getting trade and money" from the country

LIVE: CBI arrests Delhi Dy CM in connection with liquor policy case

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Congress could've been more vocal on issues like Bilkis Bano: Tharoor

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said the Congress should be absolutely clear in its ideological stance in favour of an inclusive India and pointed out that party could have been more vocal on issues such as the Bilkis Bano outrage and murder in the name of cow vigilantism. Addressing the 85th plenary session of the party here, the former Union minister said the Congress should stand up for its foundational principles. "We should be absolutely clear in our ideological stance in favour of inclusive India. The tendency to downplay some positions or avoid taking a stand on some issues in order not to alienate what we assume to be the sentiments of the majority only plays into the BJP's hands," Tharoor said. "We must have the courage of our convictions. We could have been more vocal on the Bilkis Bano outrage, attacks on Christian churches, murder in the name of cow vigilantism, bulldozer demolition of Muslim homes and similar issues," he said. These are Indian citizen

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar slams Tharoor over Musharraf remark

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar hit out at Congress leader Shashi Tharoor after he termed Pervez Musharraf as a 'foe-turned-real force for peace' in his condolence message

Tharoor condoles Musharraf's demise, calls him foe-turned-real force

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday condoled the passing away of Pakistan's former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, saying that "once an implacable foe of India, he became a real force for peace" between 2002 and 2007. Tharoor's social media post condoling Musharraf's demise evoked a sharp response from the BJP which accused the Congress of "Pakistan parasti (worshipping)". Musharraf passed away on Sunday in a Dubai hospital, according to media reports. "'Pervez Musharraf, Former Pakistani President, Dies of Rare Disease': once an implacable foe of India, he became a real force for peace 2002-2007," Tharoor said in a tweet. "I met him annually in those days at the @un &found him smart, engaging & clear in his strategic thinking. RIP," the former minister of state for external affairs said. Tagging Tharoor's tweets, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Pervez Musharraf architect of Kargil, dictator, accused of heinous crimes who considered Taliban .

Budget 2023 gets mixed reactions from politicians and industry experts

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her 5th Budget on Feb 1, 2023. Here's what different political leaders and industry experts think of Budget 2023

Challenge to build 'brand India' continues: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said the challenge to build "brand India" continues because it is world's perception about the country that matters, not what "we are trying to sell about ourselves". Addressing an event organised by Mathrubhumi media group here, he said India witnessed rapid economic growth post liberalisation in the 90s and emerged as the world's fastest growing economy. Now the whole issue of our magnificent diversity and how the world perceives it with the current political environments in our country raises the question, he said, adding the "challenge to building brand India continues". The essential fact remains that what really matters is not the image but the reality. What really matters is not what we are trying to sell about ourselves but what people think of us, (and) whether we want them to think that way or not, he added. The Thiruvananthapuram MP also talked about the challenges and opportunities that Kerala faces. "There are a number of econ

Speak thoughtfully about colleagues, Tharoor's advice to Ashok Gehlot

Veteran Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday advised Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to speak thoughtfully about his colleagues