Left to do the fire-fighting whenever Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor kicks up a controversy with his comments or tweets, the media department of the Congress has apparently been entrusted with the task of explaining to him the need to weigh his words more carefully.
Mr. Tharoor called on the chairman of the media department, Janardan Dwivedi, on Tuesday but both maintained it was a courtesy call that had been scheduled a week ahead of the Minister’s visit to Saudi Arabia along with the Prime Ministerial entourage.
And, he had apparently sought the appointment. Since this was Mr. Tharoor’s first ever visit to the Congress headquarters and coming as it did close on the heels of the latest controversy over his remarks regarding Saudi Arabia being a “valuable interlocutor,” the meeting provided grist to the rumour mills.
Pointing out that Mr. Tharoor already clarified and the Prime Minister had also spoken on the subject, Mr. Dwivedi said, there was nothing that the party had to add and called the matter closed. “Please do not read anything into this meeting; it is routine for the Congress Ministers and MPs to visit their party headquarters,” Mr. Dwivedi said.
