"Had informed party in advance": Shashi Tharoor on skipping AICC meet

Kozhikode (Kerala) [India], January 24 (ANI): Speaking for the first time since skipping the All India Congress Committee (AICC) meet, party leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said that he had informed his party leaders about his intention not to attend the meeting beforehand.
While he said that certain media reports about him skipping the meeting "might be true, while others may not be", such things should not be discussed on a public platform.
"It is better to convey concerns directly to the party leadership. Several things have appeared in the media, some of which may be true while others may not be, and that such matters should not be discussed on public platforms. I had informed the party in advance that I would not be attending the programme and whatever I have to say will be said within the party," he said, while at the Kerala literature festival.
Tharoor's comments come a day after he missed a key AICC meet to discuss preparations for the upcoming Kerala Assembly polls.
The Congress leader had informed the leadership that he wouldn't be able to attend the meeting, which had already been postponed, due to his prior commitments at the Kerala Literature Festival. Tharoor had gone to the festival to speak on his latest book, Sree Narayana Guru.
"Dr Tharoor is in Calicut for the Kerala Literature Festival, Asia's Biggest Literary Festival. He is speaking on his latest book on Sree Narayana Guru. He had informed the party that he won't make it," according to the Congress MP's office.
He also said, "I have nothing to say about the Ernakulam controversy. I had wished to release the book at the event, but the book launch at the Jaipur Literature Festival had to be postponed due to political commitments. This is the reason I chose to attend the event in Kozhikode."
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting was attended by multiple party leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, party General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, Deepa Dasmunshi, Meira Kumar and others in Delhi.
Congress leaders have earlier informed that there is "no difference of opinion" with Tharoor and the central leadership.
"He spoke to the leaders about that, and I guess the leaders have given him permission to be there. This is not about him skipping the meeting. It is an important literary festival in Kerala that he attends every year. This is about our pathway ahead," said party leader Shafi Parambil.
"It is also very important for the party and for us, so he is releasing that (his book), that is why he sent us a message. Party is his priority, he was just in an event with Rahul," said Deepa Dasmunshi, AICC General Secretary.
When asked if Tharoor is 'angry' with the leadership, she added, "No, no, nothing like that. Tharoor is very happy with the Congress party and the central leadership; there is no difference of opinion on this."
This is not the first time the Congress leader has skipped the AICC meeting. Earlier, Tharoor had been criticised by other party leaders for his stance on being part of the multi-party delegation on Operation Sindoor, which went to different countries to put forward India's stance following the Pahalgam terror attack.
At that time, Tharoor had been criticised by his party leaders for the delegation, given that other prominent leaders, like Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, Kharge, and others, had not been invited to be part of it. (ANI)