PM Modi campaigned for Revanna, owes explanation to women of India: Shashi Tharoor

Patna: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'owed an explanation to the country's women' for having campaigned in favour of sex scandal accused Prajwal Revanna.

Speaking to PTI-Video during his visit to Patna, Tharoor alleged that accusations against Revanna had been known to the BJP which chose to ignore these because of 'political cynicism'.

"It is now well known that videotapes of Revanna were made available to a BJP leader in Karnataka where the party displayed political cynicism by keeping mum and having a truck with the Janata Dal (Secular)," he said.

Referring to a rally of Modi in the Hassan constituency for Revanna who has been on the run since the matter came to light, Tharoor said, "The prime minister of the country clearly owes an answer to the country's women for canvassing in favour of such a candidate".

The former Union minister also said he was 'confused' by the PM's speeches smacking of 'Muslim bashing' after which he said in an interview that he would be unworthy of his office if he pitted one community against another.

"And the very next day he did the Hindu-Muslim thing again," exclaimed Tharoor who had a successful career as a civil servant with the UN and an author before entering politics.

He also rubbished the charge that the Congress would deprive OBCs of quotas and divert these to Muslims, claiming, "It is unbecoming of the prime minister to have said such things... It also betrays desperation, a sense of the elections slipping out of his hands." The Congress leader also mocked the claim of the BJP-led NDA's return to power with 400-plus seats made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

"If there is one profession that Amit Shah must never try his hands at, it is psychology. Just recall the tall claims he had made during the assembly polls in West Bengal where the BJP was trounced by the ruling Trinamool Congress," remarked Tharoor.

He also mocked at Shah's claim of 'taking back' Pakistan-occupied Kashmir with the remark, "What were they doing for the last 10 years? It is an election stunt... So many of our border outposts have been occupied by China and the government has been unable to do anything about that." The Congress leader was also asked about the claim of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal that had he resigned before being arrested by ED, the ruling BJP at the Centre would have been emboldened to frame his counterparts in states like West Bengal and Kerala to topple the governments there.

Tharoor replied, "I have nothing to add to the statement of Kejriwal who has suffered a lot of indignity. Investigation in an old case was used to thwart him from campaigning in polls despite him being the leader of a recognised political party."

He, however, declined to comment on the controversy over the alleged assault on Swati Maliwal, a Rajya Sabha MP of Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party, inside the Delhi CM's residence, saying the matter was before court.