Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor has once again stirred controversy within the Congress by openly praising both the BJP-led Union government and the LDF government in Kerala. Congress leaders, including Opposition Leader VD Satheesan, criticised Tharoor for supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit, and his article on Kerala’s startup economy. 

The KPCC leadership has submitted a letter of dissent against Tharoor to AICC High Command. Satheesan on Saturday questioned the credibility of Tharoor's data on startups.

"I don’t know where Tharoor got these figures on Kerala’s MSME growth. Many returning NRIs open small businesses like shops and bakeries, but can such ventures be counted as MSME growth?" he asked. "Let the party high command examine this," Satheesan added.

While KPCC President K Sudhakaran said that he did not read the article, Congress leader K Muraleedharan  mocked Tharoor's stance. "Tharoor is a universal citizen. The High Command should take a decision on his stance. A normal Congress worker like me cannot accept the LDF government's policies in Kerala," Muraleedharan said. 

Meanwhile, Ramesh Chennithala argued that the statements in the article were far from reality. "I don't think Tharoor knows the facts. Enterprises shut down in a minute here in Kerala," Chennithala observed.

In his article for The New Indian Express, Tharoor highlighted Kerala’s new industrial policies, focusing on knowledge-based industries like AI, blockchain and machine learning. "I had previously observed that 'God’s own country' was the devil’s own playground for business. If that is no longer true, we all have reasons to celebrate," Tharoor wrote.

He also praised Kerala’s growth in the startup sector and its top ranking in industry-friendly indexes like Ease of Doing Business. He pointed out that even Kerala’s communists, like those in Bengal, had recognised that economic growth hinges on capitalism. Referring to Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeeve’s claim that a business can be opened in Kerala within two minutes, Tharoor wrote that if true, it would be an astonishing development.

Modi's US visit
Satheesan dismissed Modi’s visit as unproductive, stating that the Trump administration met none of India’s key demands.

Speaking about the Modi-Trump meeting, Tharoor remarked, "Donald Trump calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a better negotiator than himself is astonishing. Trump takes great pride in his deal-making skills, and even his own defence secretary has called him the world’s greatest negotiator. So for Trump to say Modi is better—it’s high praise from a man who rarely gives it."

On trade policies, Tharoor acknowledged that India’s protectionist tariffs were a sticking point. "The BJP government has kept tariffs high in certain areas, arguing that it needs to protect Indian industries. Meanwhile, the Americans want greater access to the Indian market. A middle ground must be found," he said. However, Tharoor noted that Modi had not addressed concerns over the treatment of deported Indians.

This is not the first time Tharoor has faced criticism from within the Congress. His praise for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s pro-business approach and his differing stance on the K-Rail project had previously drawn ire from party colleagues.