Why hide your love for Modi, Cong’s Udit Raj takes dig at Tharoor

Congress leader Udit Raj on Sunday accused his own party colleague and MP Shashi Tharoor of having a soft corner for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Raj, who is also the national chairman of unorganised workers and employees, criticised the senior Congress leader after the latter criticised the Kerala Government for its 2023 decision of sending Rs 10 crore in aid to Turkiye, following an earthquake. Tharoor suggested that the funds could have been better used locally, particularly in Wayanad, a district he represents.

Responding to Tharoor, Raj wrote in a post on X, “My dear @ShashiTharoor, you criticised the Kerala Government for its 2023 decision to send Rs 10 crore in aid to Turkiye, following an earthquake. What about ‘Operation Dost’ of the Modi Government? To assist Turkiye, India had sent multiple batches of aid, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, search and rescue dog squads, medical teams, field hospitals, medicines, relief material and specialised equipment.”

“Why are you hiding your love for PM Modi? You are free to express that, who is holding you back?” Raj added.

Tharoor is currently leading a multi-party delegation to five countries, including the US, as part of India’s global outreach against terrorism following Operation Sindoor.

In a post on X, Tharoor had stated, “I hope the Government of Kerala reflects on its misplaced generosity, after seeing Turkiye’s behaviour two years later! Not to mention that the people of Wayanad (just to take one example of Kerala) could have used those Rs 10 crore far better.”

The Thiruvananthapuram MP’s remarks had come amid a sharp shift in diplomatic ties between India and Turkiye, following Ankara’s open support for Pakistan during the recent conflict. Turkiye also provided weapons to Islamabad during the conflict, further straining ties with New Delhi.

In response, the Government of India revoked the operating clearance of Turkish aviation firm Celebi at Indian airports. Several Indian trade associations have also urged a complete boycott of Turkish goods and services.

Pertinently, two years ago, Kerala’s Finance Minister KN Balagopal had defended the Rs 10 crore donation to Turkiye, saying it was a humanitarian gesture following a devastating earthquake, which killed tens of thousands and left lakhs homeless.