Cong, BJP spar over Tharoor

Rumblings of discontent between the Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party shot to fore on Saturday on the ruling dispensation's proposal to include Shashi Tharoor as one of the MPs to lead the multi-party delegation to globally expose Pak-sponsored terror.

- SHAHID K ABBAS

Making a formal announcement today to dispatch multiple delegations of MPs from across the political spectrum to major world capitals for a diplomatic outreach to expose Pakistan's hand in the recent Pahalgam terror attack and to mobilise global support against cross-border terrorism, the government named seven MPs including Shashi Tharoor and Supriya Sule to lead the multi-party delegation.

Besides Shashi Tharoor and Nationalist Congress Party (SP)'s Supriya Sule, the list includes Bharatiya Janata Party's Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Baijayant Panda, Janata Dal (United)'s Sanjay Kumar Jha, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and Shiv Sena's Shrikant Eknath Shinde.

Taking serious exception to the government's announcement, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh dubbed the move as "dishonest" on part of the government.

"Giving four names, announcing another is dishonest," Mr Ramesh said on his X handle.