Tharoor not to take part in protests

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is not on the same wavelength with the KPCC on the Sabarimala issue and has decided to keep off the protests planned by it. He rather sides with party president Rahul Gandhi, who personally has welcomed the Supreme Court verdict allowing the entry of young women in Sabarimala temple.

Therefore, he has told the KPCC of his decision not to attend the padayatras and vehicle rallies planned by it which will be taken out from different parts of the state and conclude at Pampa with a public rally on November 15. A Congress leader told this newspaper that Mr Tharoor had informed the KPCC of his decision.

The political affairs committee had earlier decided to stage protests with the slogan, ‘Down with communism, victory for belief’ as demanded by KPCC working president K. Sudhakaran.

Later, Mr Rahul Gandhi supported the Supreme Court verdict creating confusion among the party leaders.

MLA K. Muraleedharan too had expressed his reservations about the protests citing the different stands taken by the AICC and the KPCC.

Mr Tharoor told this newspaper that he was taking rest owing to a chest infection.