Hyderabad: Shashi Tharoor has expressed his discontent over the induction of former Hindu Mahasabha leader into the Madhya Pradesh unit of the Congress party.
Babulal Chaurasia, the former Hindu Mahasabha councillor from Gwalior, was inducted in the party on March 25 in the presence of former chief minister and now Congress chief Kamal Nath.
Reacting to the induction of Chaurasia into the grand old party, Shashi Tharoor said, “We must know what we believe in & stand for.”
Tharoor made these comments while sharing a Times of India article, titled, “Why is Mohammed Adeeb angry”, on Twitter.
The article is about former Rajya Sabha member Mohammad Adeeb, who had reacted to Chaurasia’s induction into the Congress by releasing an emotional video. In the video, Adeeb has directed his outburst against Congress leaders for keeping quiet over Chaurasia’s induction.
Reacting to the article, Tharoor wrote, “I am sad to see my former Parliament colleague Mohammed Adeeb hurt by the entry of a Godse-worshipper into the Congress.”
“I join him in condemning the lack of principle & conviction reflected in such opportunism. We must know what we believe in & stand for.,” he further wrote.
Chaurasia’s return to the Congress has kicked up a storm in the state’s political circles.
Former Congress state president Arun Yadav has reacted to a picture of Chaurasia with the slogan: “Bapu we are ashamed. Long live Mahatma Gandhi.”
It may be recalled that in 2014, after being denied a Congress ticket, Chaurasia left the party and joined the Hindu Mahasabha to fight elections from ward no 44 and emerged victorious.
On November 15, 2017, he participated in a programme organised by the leaders of the Hindu Mahasabha on the occasion of a temple being built for Mahatma Gandhi’s killer Nathuram Godse. He had even worshipped Godse on the occasion. Pictures of his actions in events supporting Godse are now going viral on social media.
Chaurasia maintains he was originally with the Congress and has again returned to the party’s ideology.
(With IANS inputs)