Hamas remark: Will Tharoor be invited for Congress’ pro-Palestine rally; Uncertainty continues

Kozhikode: Reports suggest that Shashi Tharoor, a member of the working committee, will not be invited to the pro-palestine rally of the Congress. Yesterday, Tharoor indicated that he had not received invitation to the solidarity rally scheduled to be held in Kozhikode on November 23. He said that he wouldn’t be able to attend as his nephew’s wedding is on the same date. Nonetheless, if invited, Tharoor said he would try to make an appearance even if it’s late. In any case, the topic of Tharoor’s participation in the rally has been discussed both inside and outside the party.

The remark made by Shashi Tharoor in the rally held by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) that the October 7 incident in Israel was a terror attack turned controversial. Later, Tharoor prolifically wrote and spoke indicating his pro-Palestinian position but to no avail. 

Tharoor’s remark became a weapon that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan used to attack the Congress during CPM’s Palestine solidarity rally. Congress leaders are of the opinion that Tharoor’s remarks have caused discontent in the Muslim community. 

However, M.K Raghavan MP, who heads the rally organisation committee said that everyone including Tharoor will be invited to the event. Kozhikode DCC president K Praveen Kumar said that the KPCC leadership will decide who should be invited.

The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) had announced it would be organising a huge rally to declare solidarity with the people of war-ravaged Palestine. KPCC chief K Sudhakaran said the rally, which would be held at the Kozhikode beach on November 23, would also serve as a platform to expose the alleged hypocrisy of the ruling CPI(M), which according to him was abusing the plight of the Palestinian people for reaping political and electoral gains in Kerala.

The rally would be inaugurated by AICC general secretary K V Venugopal and would become a historic event by mobilising a huge crowd, Sudhakaran said. The decision came in the wake of harsh criticism from the CPI(M) in the state that the Congress stand was supportive towards Israel and against the Palestinian people.