Shashi Tharoor, a prominent Member of Parliament for the Congress party, recently missed a vital meeting of the party’s strategic group, which was convened by Sonia Gandhi to discuss preparations for the Parliament’s winter session. Tharoor, speaking on Monday, explained that his absence was due to travel arrangements, stating he was airborne on a flight from Kerala when the Sunday meeting took place.
The Lok Sabha MP’s non-attendance had become a talking point in political circles. Providing clarity, Tharoor reportedly said, “I did not skip it; I was on a plane, coming from Kerala.” Reports from his office also confirmed he was traveling back from Kerala with his 90-year-old mother, opting for a later flight.
This marks a recurrence of Tharoor missing key party deliberations. Earlier, he was absent from a Congress meeting addressing the SIR issue, attributing it to poor health. His decision to attend a government event featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi shortly after missing the SIR meeting had raised questions among some party colleagues. Adding to the ongoing discussions were Tharoor’s past social media comments praising the Prime Minister, which had previously drawn criticism from within the Congress party. The nuanced relationship between Tharoor and the Congress leadership has been a recurring theme, especially given his occasional positive remarks regarding Prime Minister Modi’s actions following certain national security operations.