Utterly irresponsible: Pralhad Joshi slams Tharoor for suggesting cancellation of Republic Day festivities

By Pragya Kaushika
New Delhi [India], January 5 (ANI): Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi slammed Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for suggesting that Republic day celebrations should be cancelled as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was the chief guest of the event, has called off his visit to India due to COVID-19.
The Minister termed Tharoor's remark "utterly irresponsible".
"It is the most irresponsible statement by Shashi Tharoor, let Congress reply on it. Republic Day is the most inspiring day. Unfortunate that he has tweeted this. Shashi Tharoor pokes his nose in every issue," Joshi told ANI.
He informed that all the necessary precautions will be taken keeping the pandemic situation in mind and that the Defence Ministry is working on logistics to have safe festivities on Republic Day.
His statement comes in response to a tweet by Tharoor in which he suggested cancelling Republic Day festivities stating that getting crowds to cheer the parade, as usual, would be irresponsible in the view of COVID-19.
"Now that Boris Johnson's visit to India this month has been cancelled due to the #COVIDSecondWave and we do not have a Chief Guest on #RepublicDay, why not go one step farther and cancel the festivities altogether? Getting crowds to cheer the parade, as usual, would be irresponsible," Tharoor tweeted.
Joshi called out the Opposition for its "hypocrisy".
Recalling the latest criticism from Congress and other opposition parties for not convening the Parliament's winter session, the Minister said, "In private, they asked us to go for the budget session directly and later criticised us for not convening the winter session. This is the kind of opposition we have."
He further hailed the Supreme Court's decision to clear the Central Vista project.
"The mentality of the Congress is that it not do anything during its time to create history. They have not taken any dynamic decision and there was policy paralysis. We need a good Parliament building because of space constraint and we are giving a huge amount of rent for offices, we need a new building," he said.
"Few people went to court and congress boycotted foundation laying ceremony. In opposing Prime Minister Modi-led government, they oppose good works done by Modi for the country. It is intellectual bankruptcy of Congress. The top court has upheld our vision and argument for it," the Minister added. (ANI)