Veekshanam Daily, Congress party's mouthpiece in Kerala, on Monday published an editorial criticising Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, without naming him, for praising the entrepreneurial growth of the state under the left government. It urged him not to betray the expectations of thousands of party workers ahead of the upcoming local body elections.
The strongly worded editorial stated that an anti-incumbency wave was prevalent in the state and that attempts to suppress it by those responsible for fuelling it represented a 'distorted' political practice.
The editorial came a day after Tharoor clarified that he had not praised the Communist Party of India-Marxist-led government in Kerala but had merely highlighted the state's progress in the startup sector.
On Sunday, Thiruvananthapuram MP claimed that his article in an English daily contained no political references and that his focus was solely on Kerala's entrepreneurial and innovation-driven growth, intending to showcase the state's development in that specific area. However, the party mouthpiece appeared to have effectively rejected his clarifications.
The editorial warned that if the Congress-led UDF failed to win the local body elections despite favourable conditions, it would be a major setback for the front. It described any move to undermine its electoral prospects as "ridiculous."
Titled Ahimsa Award for the Executioner?, the editorial further argued that when the Congress was actively opposing the shortcomings of the Left Democratic Front government inside and outside the assembly, it would be "suicidal" to weaken the party from within.
Alleging that it was the ruling CPI-M which had made Kerala a "graveyard" of industries, the editorial further said it was ridiculous to give citation to the Left government in the name of industrial growth.
The state witnessed the growth and development of modern and significant industrial establishments during the rule of former chief ministers like R Sankar, C Achutha Menon, K Karunakaran, AK Antony and Oommen Chandy, it said.
The article lavishly praised what it called the "futuristic interventions" made by former industry ministers of Kerala, including PK Kunhalikutty, TV Thomas, KA Damodara Menon and so on.
It also sought to know what specialty was brought by the present industries minister (P Rajeeve), compared to his predecessors.
To praise those who destroyed the agricultural and industrial sectors of the state was equally ridiculous as giving an "ahimsa award' for an executioner.
The article detailed various protests and agitations led by the CPI-M against industrial projects in the state in the past.
It also mentioned significant projects brought out by Congress Chief Ministers like AK Antony and Oommen Chandy and the stiff opposition shown by the Left party against them.
The mouthpiece also criticised Tharoor's positive remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent US visit.
Modi hugging President Donald Trump and receiving assurance in trade-military treaties was not a "great thing", it said.
The editorial also termed the development as mere gesture by two administrators to improve their image.
At the time, thousands of Indians are in the US prisons with an apple and a bottle of water in their hands, it said, apparently referring to the illegal immigrants who were deported to India.
Meanwhile, reactions continued to pour in supporting and opposing Tharoor over his remarks on Monday also.
Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan harshly criticised Tharoor's positive remarks on Modi's US trip and sought to know how an Indian could hail the meeting between Modi and Trump.
While speaking to a TV channel, the senior leader said people may have different opinions on various issues, but while holding a party position, they cannot express individual opinions always.
"The partymen have no freedom to express their own opinions always. Party's opinion is paramount," he said.
He also countered Tharoor's remarks on the entrepreneurial growth of the state under the Left government and said nothing had happened during their regime except some public relations campaigns.
Taking a dig at Tharoor, Muraleedharan also said the MP had actually waxed eloquent about the "PR (public relations) work" done by industries minister P Rajeeve.
However, SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan, the leader of the numerically strong Hindu Ezhava community, extended support to Tharoor and said he is not a person who always tells things based on politics.
"He said a truth based on his understandings. There is no need to make so much hue and cry over this and criticise him. If what he said was wrong, let them (Congress leaders) prove it," he told the media.
State PWD minister PA Mohammad Riyas also backed Tharoor and criticised the ongoing cyber attacks against the Thiruvananthapuram MP over the row.
He said things had reached a level that even an MP could not tell the truth about Kerala.
"What kind of cyber attack (against him). It is like if anyone tells anything good about the state, it is seen as saying something banned," he said.
Referring to the Veekshanam editorial, Riyas said that the Congress has transformed into a party that bans people who speak positively about Kerala. "Thus, the Congress unit in the state has become anti-Kerala Congress," he added.
Meanwhile, Tharoor seemed to have distanced himself from the row on Monday.
In his latest Facebook post, the leader paid homage to two Youth Congress workers who were killed by CPI-M workers in Periya in Kasaragod in 2019.
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