Tharoor lauds Priyanka's political journey; expresses concern over Bangladesh violence

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday lauded Priyanka Gandhi's political journey soon after she took oath as Member of Parliament and remarked that he was pleased with her success. He also expressed distress over the situation faced by minorities, particularly Hindus in Bangladesh.

“The fact is she was an excellent candidate. I even campaigned for her in Wayanad, and I am happy she won with such a massive majority. She won by a margin of 4.5 lakh votes," said Shashi Tharoor.

"In my opinion, it is now her right, as the people's representative, to raise issues concerning Wayanad and India in the Lok Sabha. I am very pleased with her success,” he added.

When asked about criticism regarding political families, he added, “When an individual is successful, there is no point in talking about their family. When Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav were in Parliament, Dimple Yadav also came. It does happen this way when people succeed and enter the House.”

Tharoor also highlighted the pressing need for an updated immigration Bill during a parliamentary committee meeting.

He noted, “Yesterday, the committee had a meeting where we discussed the issues faced by our diaspora — immigrants, labourers going abroad, human trafficking, and domestic workers. Many MPs raised concerns about their constituents facing problems abroad, such as people stranded at the Russian border due to the Ukraine conflict, or those stuck in the Middle East.”

He further mentioned that the meeting saw a great deal of interest, with 22 MPs attending, "which is unusual for a routine meeting."

"We had a comprehensive discussion, which ran over time, leaving no room for other issues. The entire focus was on immigration,” the Congress leader added.

On the situation in Bangladesh, Tharoor expressed concern, saying, “Yes, we have discussed it. We meet once a week, and there will be a briefing on Bangladesh in a couple of weeks, on December 11."

The unrest in the neighbouring country continues as Chinmoy Krishna Das, a prominent Hindu leader and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote, was arrested on Monday. He was presented before a Chittagong court on Tuesday. The court denied his bail plea and sent him to custody.

Calling it a national concern, Shashi Tharoor noted that all Indians are concerned because "it is our neighbouring country, and we care about its well-being."

"It’s not just the Foreign Ministry monitoring the situation; all concerned Indian citizens are also worried about the reports coming from Bangladesh. We will follow it closely, and I am personally keeping a close watch on it,” Shashi Tharoor added.