Cong slugfest plays on as Moily slams 'pro-Modi' Tharoor, Jairam Ramesh

Bengaluru/Thiruvananthapuram: The row over the perceived pro-Modi slant of Shashi Tharoor shows no signs of abating with another top party leader slamming the three-time Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram.

Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister M Veerappa Moily has sought disciplinary action against Tharoor, terming his praise of Modi as “most unfortunate” while pointing an accusing finger at Congress leader Jairam Ramesh too.

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for doing the right things would lend credibility to the opposition's criticism of him, Tharoor had Tweeted triggering a row in Kerala.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief Mullapally Ramachandran had sought an explanation from Tharoor, for which the latter responded publicly denying the charges.

The KPCC reportedly buried the issue as a closed chapter but Moily has now reignited the issue.

Moily also charged on Wednesday that the then union minister Jairam Ramesh was among those responsible for "policy paralysis" during the UPA-2 government.

Ramesh had also reportedly made statements with a pro-modi slant.

Terming the statements as "most unfortunate", he called for appropriate disciplinary action against the two leaders by the Congress leadership.

"He (Tharoor) is often on and off fond of giving statements and finding his place in the press. That's all,” Moily told PTI in an interview.

"I don't think his (Tharoor's) statement could be taken that seriously. He has to become a serious politician. That's our plea", Moily said.

Moily said those who want to leave the party should do so but cannot hope to sabotage the party and its ideology from within.

Coming down heavily on Jairam Ramesh, Moily said : "he (Ramesh) is responsible for policy paralysis of our Government (UPA-2) and he is also responsible for compromising the principles of governance many a time.”

Moily later clarified that Ramesh was among those responsible for the policy paralysis and "not the only person".

Moily hinted that when Ramesh was at the helm of the environment and rural development ministries, businesses had to undergo many hardships to acquire land for setting up industries.

Ramesh also failed to put in place a system to provide environmental clearances.

Moily did not specify any instances to back the charges.

Ramesh had recently remarked that "demonising" the Prime Minister all the time was not going to help.

Moily charged Ramesh of "compromising himself" with the BJP.

“Because they enjoy power as Ministers, once they come in the opposition, they would keep a bridge with the ruling party," Moily said.

Despite clamour for action against Tharoor from the state unit, the AICC leadership has so far kept mum on the issue but the serious rift in Congress is now wide open.