Page 2 - Shashi Tharoor

Trump's tariffs hurting India, people losing jobs: Shashi Tharoor

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday said the tariffs imposed by the US has impacted India with people already losing jobs, even as he lashed out at American President Donald Trump for being "mercurial" in nature and not honouring conventional standards of diplomatic behaviour. US has imposed a 50 per cent tariff, including 25 per cent as penalty for buying Russian oil, on shipments from India. India needs to diversify export markets to mitigate the impact of tariffs, Tharoor said, adding that 1.35 lakh people have lost jobs in gems and jewelery business in Surat and in seafood and manufacturing sectors. "Mr Trump is a very mercurial individual, and the American system gives the President an amazing amount of leeway," Tharoor said while replying to a query related to Indo-US relationship and imposition of tariffs, at a conference organised by CREDAI, India's apex industry body for real estate sector. Continuing with his opinion about Trump, Tharoor said, "Even though the

Tharoor lauds Sudarshan Reddy after V-P poll loss, says fight is for ideals

Soon after Opposition candidate B Sudarshan Reddy's defeat in the vice presidential polls, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday hailed the former Supreme Court judge and said that sometimes the fight is not about winning or losing but about standing up for one's convictions. His remarks came after NDA candidate C P Radhakrishnan was elected the next vice president of India, bagging 452 votes against the opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy's 300. "Sometimes the fight is not about winning or losing but about standing up for your convictions. Pranaams Sudershan Reddy ji," Tharoor said on X. After the results were announced, the Congress said, "The BJP's 'arithmetical' victory in the vice presidential election is both a 'moral and political defeat' for the ruling party. The Congress also asserted that the Opposition stood united in the election with "most respectable" performance." Announcing the result of the vice presidential election this evening, Rajya Sabha Secretar

Much fairer system, better for everyone: Tharoor welcomes GST reforms

Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that US President Donald Trump's "pressure is mounting" and claimed the Union government implemented the GST reforms with elections approaching

Shashi Tharoor calls EC's SIR exercise 'essential', urges transparency

Tharoor stressed that maintaining the credibility of the Election Commission was crucial and that any legitimate concerns raised by the opposition should be addressed fairly

Tharoor warns ban may push online gaming underground, calls for regulation

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday criticised the government's move to ban online money gaming, warning that such a step would only push the industry underground and strengthen criminal networks. He also said he had not studied the three Constitution amendment bills seeking to provide a framework for the removal of prime ministers, Union ministers, chief ministers and state ministers detained on serious criminal charges in any detail. On the face of it, it is difficult to say it has any problem, but obviously if anyone does something wrong they should not be a minister anyway. I don't know if there is any other motive, he remarked. Discussing the bill seeking to prohibit and regulate online gaming introduced in the Lok Sabha, he said, "I had written a very long article on the argument that by banning online gaming we are simply driving it underground, whereas it could be a useful source of revenue for the government if we legalise it, regulate it and tax it." He added that

India won't take first step to normalise ties, onus on Pakistan: Tharoor

India no longer has the appetite to take the first step in normalising ties with Pakistan after repeated betrayals, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Tuesday, urging Islamabad to demonstrate sincerity by dismantling terror networks operating from its soil. He was speaking at the launch of the book "Whither India-Pakistan Relations Today?", an anthology edited by former ambassador Surendra Kumar. The Thiruvananthapuram MP said every Indian attempt at outreach -- from Jawaharlal Nehru's pact with Liaqat Ali Khan in 1950, to Atal Bihari Vajpayee's bus journey to Lahore in 1999, and Narendra Modi's Lahore visit in 2015 -- had been "betrayed" by hostility from across the border. "Given the record of Pakistani behaviour, the onus is on them. They're the ones who have to take the first steps to show some sincerity about dismantling terror infrastructure on their soil. "Why can't they be serious about shutting down these terror camps? Everyone knows where they are. The UN ...

EC can restore credibility by addressing election fairness doubts: Tharoor

The Election Commission's own interest lies in addressing these questions, Tharoor said

Committee reports, legislative business to be discussed in Lok Sabha today

The Standing Committee on Finance will table its 25th report on the 'Evolving Role of the Competition Commission of India in the Economy, particularly the Digital Landscape'

We should impose 50% levy on US goods: Shashi Tharoor on Trump tariffs

Shashi Tharoor's remarks were in response to the additional 25 per cent tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on account of India's oil imports from Russia

Cutting fertiliser subsidy not viable despite green push, says Tharoor

Expressing concern over fertiliser overuse, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday said that reducing fertiliser subsidies remains "politically unviable" while highlighting how Green Revolution architect Prof M S Swaminathan prioritised natural resource protection. Speaking at the launch of Priyambada Jayakumar's book on Swaminathan, Tharoor emphasised the late agricultural scientist's holistic vision. "His whole concept of economic growth was that it wouldn't simply trickle down but rise up from the soil. The Green Revolution wasn't just about higher-yielding wheat varieties but generating employment, enhancing livelihoods, and empowering the rural poor," he said. Drawing from his parliamentary experience, Tharoor noted the political challenges. "I briefly chaired the committee on chemicals and fertilisers. It was packed with people simply not prepared to contemplate any subsidy reduction... Politically, it won't be viable," he observed. However, DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi

Tharoor urges Centre, states to align efforts for clean air solutions

Batting for concerted action to tackle air pollution, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has called on the Central government and states to work together, alongside experts, industry, civil society and citizens, to align efforts and implement scalable solutions -- from clean transport to cleaner fuels. Noting that air pollution transcends economic, social and political divides and is both a grave public health crisis and an environmental emergency, Tharoor said it demands not just our best ideas, but our collective courage and concerted action across sectors and states. The Thiruvananthapuram MP made the remarks at a high-level roundtable on 'Clean Air and Public Health: Advancing Collective Action' at the India Habitat Centre here on Tuesday. Hosted by Tharoor and convened by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and AirQualityAsia (AQA), the dialogue was the seventh such roundtable since 2017 that brings together India's leading air quality experts, policymakers, health ...

Trump hits India with 50% tariff: Tharoor slams US, experts warn of GDP hit

After US President Trump announced an extra 25% tariff on Indian goods over Russian oil imports, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor called it a 'double standard', while economists warned of a hit to India

Trump's dead economy remark should not be taken literally: Shashi Tharoor

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has said US President Donald Trump's remark terming India a dead economy was meant to be an "insult" and must not be taken "literally". Tharoor on Sunday said that when wars are being conducted with the active involvement of some of the biggest powers, and people who are supposed to be upholding world order are contributing to promoting disorder, India needs to be very clear about its national interests. The senior Congress leader, who was in conversation with Crossword CEO Aakash Gupta in Pune, spoke on a wide range of issues, including his latest book, "The Living Constitution". US President Trump last week called India a dead economy just hours after he announced a 25 per cent tariff on the import of Indian goods along with an unspecified penalty for buying vast majority of Russian military equipment and crude oil. Tharoor said that it is a turbulent and unpredictable world, especially with Trump in the White House. "On Trump, let me say, you can't ta

'Why so touchy?': SC to BJP leader on Tharoor's 2018 'scorpion' remark

The Supreme Court questioned the BJP leader's defamation case against Shashi Tharoor, noting that public figures must have 'thick skin' and urging closure of the matter

SC extends stay on proceedings against Shashi Tharoor in defamation case

Asking the complainant's lawyer "why be so touchy", the Supreme Court on Friday extended the stay on trial court proceedings against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in a defamation case filed for his alleged "scorpion on Shivling" remark targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh passed the order after adjourning the matter on the request of Tharoor's lawyer. The lawyer appearing for the complainant, BJP leader Rajeev Babbar, sought a hearing on a non-miscellaneous day. "What non-miscellaneous day? Why do you want to be so touchy about all this? Let us close all this," the bench said, as it posted the matter for hearing on September 15. Tharoor moved the top court against the Delhi High Court's August 29, 2024, order, which refused to quash the defamation proceedings against him, asking him to appear before the trial court on September 10. Tharoor's counsel previously argued that neither the complainant nor the members of the political

Parliament Highlights: Retaliation by Army forced Pakistan to bow down, says Rajnath Singh

Monsoon Session Highlights: Top leaders from NDA and INDIA bloc to face off in Parliament over Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. Follow live updates on the debate and proceedings here

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 ...

Tharoor slams Emergency; Manickam asks if 'bird is becoming a parrot'

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has criticised the Emergency declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 as a "dark chapter" in India's history and asserted that the people of the country responded clearly to the excesses of that period by voting her party out of power by a large margin. In an article published in the Malayalam daily 'Deepika' on Thursday, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) member also mentioned Indira Gandhi's son Sanjay Gandhi's notorious acts, including forced sterilisation campaigns and the merciless demolition of slums in New Delhi. Recalling the dark era of the Emergency declared between June 25, 1975, and March 21, 1977, Tharoor said Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was seen as having endorsed harsh actions. "Some may argue that the Emergency brought about a temporary order and offered brief relief from the disorder of democratic politics. However, these violations were the result of unchecked power turning into authoritarianism. Whatever order may .

Tharoor recalls Sanjay Gandhi's role in Emergency; calls it a dark era

In a Malayalam daily article, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said democracy is a precious legacy that must be nurtured, adding that today's India is very different from that of 1975

Tharoor shares survey showing public support for him as UDF''s CM face

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday shared a survey indicating that he is the most preferred choice for Chief Minister among leaders of the party-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala. The survey, reportedly conducted by private agency called Kerala Vote Vibe, found that 28.3 per cent of respondents believe Tharoor is best suited to lead the state. He shared a news post about the survey on the social media platform X, adding a folded hands emoji in response. The Thiruvananthapuram MP's move comes at a time when his recent positions post Pahalgam terror attack have invited sharp criticism within the Congress, with some of his comments seen as putting the party on the defensive. Kerala is scheduled to go to the Assembly polls in April next year, as the five-year term of the second LDF government led by CPI(M) veteran Pinarayi Vijayan comes to an end.