Shashi Tharoor: Senior Congressman and Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor became embroiled in a scandal after he referred to the Hamas attackers on October 7 as “terrorists” while speaking at an Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) event. On Thursday, the IUML organised a protest to show support for the Palestinian people.
Tharoor’s Remarks at Pro-Palestine Rally
“Israel solidarity meeting at the expense of the IUML” was Tharoor’s action, according to CPI(M) leader M Swaraj. Shashi Tharoor expressed on Friday that he was “bemused” to learn of the issue surrounding his remarks at the pro-Palestine march on October 27, following criticism from pro-Hamas organisations and a segment of Left activists. During his 32-minute lecture on the Israel-Hamas conflict, he claimed that some people decided to “dwell” on a specific section of it.
Context of the Statement
“I am somewhat bemused to learn of the attacks on me by those who, out of a 32-minute speech, have chosen to dwell on the 25 seconds in which I denounced the terrorist attacks of October 7 that triggered the current cycle of violence and disproportionate retribution,” Shashi Tharoor said, addresing the media in Malyalam at the Kozhikode airport in Kerala. “If that’s all it takes to negate my support for the human rights of the Palestinian people, then I have nothing more to say,” he added.
Criticism from Left Activists and Pro-Hamas Organizations
Following harsh social media criticism from Left activists and pro-Hamas organisations, Tharoor made her comments. The Palestine solidarity protest in Kozhikode was planned by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a significant ally of the United Democratic Front (UDF) led by the Congress in Kerala. The purpose of the march was to protest the alleged random killings of civilians by Israeli strikes on Gaza, particularly women and children.
Tharoor’s Acknowledgment of Civilian Casualties
Although Tharoor acknowledged that innocent women and children had been killed, both in Israel and later in Gaza, he strongly denounced Hamas’s coordinated attack on Israel on October 7. According to the Congress leader, this is a fundamental human rights issue and not just a problem for Muslims. “The bomb falls without asking anyone’s religion. Christians constitute one to two percent of the Palestinian population. They too have perished in this conflict,” he asserted.
CPI(M) Leader’s Critique
Later, after CPI(M) leader and former MLA M Swaraj said that some of Tharoor’s comments were pro-Israel and that the Congress MP had neglected to acknowledge that Israel was a “terrorist nation,” Tharoor’s statements became a contentious issue. CPI(M) state secretariat member Swaraj made fun of Tharoor by claiming that his actions amounted to a “meeting of Israel solidarity at the expense of the IUML.” “Tharoor is not a man who does not know the meaning of words. He is also not a person who was unaware that history had not begun on October 7,” Swaraj further said.
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