Shashi Tharoor clarifies he praised Kerala's startup growth, not CPI(M)-led govt

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday clarified that he did not praise the CPI(M)-led government in Kerala, but instead highlighted the state's progress in the startup sector.

Speaking to reporters, Tharoor said that his article in an English daily did not contain any political references. He emphasized that his focus was solely on Kerala’s growth in entrepreneurship and innovation, aiming to highlight the state's development in that specific area.

Tharoor's response followed the political storm triggered by his article in an English daily, where he praised Kerala's entrepreneurial growth under the LDF government. While his party questioned the basis of his claims, the CPI(M) welcomed them.

"I wrote the article based on the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2024, which stated that Kerala attracted an investment of 1.7 billion US Dollars within 18 months. If anyone challenges the accuracy of this fact, I will relay it to those who published the report," he said.

The Congress leader also clarified that he does not believe that the overall industrial environment in Kerala has changed.

Kerala is still facing a major economic crisis, with 80 percent of state PSUs running at a loss, he stated.

Tharoor further said that he had voiced his opposition over several other issues, including youth unemployment, noting that Kerala ranks second after Jammu and Kashmir in terms of high unemployment rates.

He claimed that the state is facing a crisis due to the migration of educated youth and challenges in the agricultural sector, particularly in rubber, cashew, and pineapple farming.

In a latest Facebook post on Sunday, Tharoor said that his article is not an attempt to assess the entire economic situation of Kerala.

"I wrote this article as an MP, focusing on a specific issue in Kerala—the transformation of the business environment driven by the growth of the startup sector", his post said.

"I take this opportunity to proudly acknowledge that it was former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, as a Congressman, who laid the foundation for this progress. The developments stem from his initiatives, including the launch of the Startup Village and the state's Startup Mission. The current government has naturally carried them forward," it added.

Responding to the criticism, he said that comment only after reading the article as there is nothing about party politics in it.

"I am talking about what Kerala needs to do to come out of the economic crisis. I have said many times about the economic progress of Kerala in the last 16 years," he said.

Tharoor also added that he pleaded in his article that when a new party comes to power and continues with several initiatives in the startup sector, the opposition at that time should not oppose it merely for political reasons.

Earlier in an FB post, Tharoor defended his article, saying that not highlighting the industrial advancements made during the previous UDF regime was not intentional.

The Congress-led UDF strongly flayed Tharoor, accusing him of "overlooking" the industrial sector's achievements during its tenure in the state.

Responding to Tharoor’s claim, IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty on Sunday said that Kerala’s industrial landscape saw a big transformation during the consecutive Congress-led UDF governments under K Karunakaran, A K Antony and Oommen Chandy.

Addressing the media at Malappuram, he highlighted various projects implemented during his tenure as Industries Minister, stating that KINFRA and Infopark were initiatives launched by the UDF government, despite facing strong opposition at the time.

"When the UDF later became the opposition, it did not take a similar stance against such developments," he said, adding that a political response on Tharoor's issue will be made at the appropriate time.

In a scathing attack, UDF convener M M Hasan stated that if Shashi Tharoor wishes to express views that contradict the party and the front's stance, he should have the decency to resign from the Congress Working Committee (CWC).

He accused Tharoor of making statements without understanding the ground reality, calling the content of his article "unrealistic and baseless".

However, responding to statements from the Congress and UDF leaders, Tharoor stated that no one has demanded his resignation from the CWC or brought the issue before the party high command.

In an apparent reference to the issue, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that party members have absolute freedom of speech, but the party’s view was paramount.

"The Indian National Congress is our country's ONLY political party where there is absolute freedom of speech as well as freedom after speech. Members give their views on issues that are, on occasion, their own and that do not reflect the opinion of the party as a collective entity. It is the party's stance that is paramount," he posted on X.