Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has clarified the reason behind his absence from a significant strategy meeting held Sunday by the party’s strategic group, chaired by Sonia Gandhi, to prepare for the Parliament’s winter session. Tharoor explained on Monday that he was en route from Kerala on a flight during the meeting’s scheduled time and did not intentionally miss it.
The Lok Sabha MP’s unavailability for the Sunday deliberations had drawn attention in political circles. He was quoted as saying, “I did not skip it; I was on a plane, coming from Kerala.” An earlier statement from Tharoor’s office had also mentioned he was traveling with his 90-year-old mother on a later flight from Kerala.
This incident follows a pattern, as Tharoor had previously missed a Congress meeting concerning the SIR issue, citing ill health. His decision to participate in a government event addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi the day after missing the SIR meeting had previously generated questions from within the party. Tharoor’s past social media commentary, which included praise for the Prime Minister, had also drawn criticism from fellow Congress members. The relationship between Tharoor and the Congress party has been a subject of ongoing discussion, especially given his instances of acknowledging Prime Minister Modi’s effectiveness after national security operations.