Ending days of speculation, Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Shashi Tharoor, MP, has confirmed his participation at the party’s rally in support of the Palestinian people, to be held on the Kozhikode beach on Thursday evening.
This was informed by functionaries of the Kozhikode District Congress committee here on Wednesday.
So far, the DCC leaders have been saying that though Mr. Tharoor had been invited to the event, they could not confirm his participation as he had to attend a family wedding the same day. There were reports that a section of State-level party leaders were not keen on the Thiruvananthapuram MP attending the rally in view of the adverse reaction to his remarks against Hamas at the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) rally last month.
Mr. Tharoor had courted controversy after he termed the Hamas action on Israel on October 7 as a “terrorist attack” that led to a “disproportionate response” by Israel on Gaza.
The Congress had to clarify its stand on the Palestine issue thereafter. Since the party is dependent on the IUML in Malabar districts, it was reported that a section of Congress leaders did not want to annoy their United Democratic Front ally by inviting Mr. Tharoor to the rally. Another section, which is close to him, however, desperately wanted to bring the MP here as well.
Finally, Mr. Tharoor is learnt to have used his status as the CWC member to attend the Kozhikode rally. Now, it remains to be seen what he will say there as there is a possibility of Mr. Tharoor utilising the opportunity to clarify his “Hamas remark”.
Some State leaders are also worried if he would steal the thunder from them. All India Congress Committee general secretary K.C. Venugopal is set to open the rally in which IUML State president Panakkad Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal, general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty, and E.T. Mohammed Basheer, MP, have confirmed their participation.
Meanwhile, there was some confusion about the venue of the rally as the district administration initially denied permission to the event at the Freedom Square as the government’s Navakerala Sadas is scheduled to be held there. After a series of discussions, the Congress was allowed to use another venue nearby.
