In letter to Sonia,Tharoor objects to being named as corrupt

Former union minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor has sent a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi protesting against her reference about him while talking on matters of corruption.

Former union minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor has sent a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi protesting against her reference about him while talking on matters of corruption. In his letter sent to 10,Janpath,recently,Tharoor has said that since he was not directly involved in any financial irregularities,it was unfortunate that his name should be cited in his manner,according to party sources.

Tharoor resigned as union minister in April following his controversial involvement in the Kochi IPL franchise bid. His friend Sunanda Pushkar,whom he later married,was found to have sweat equity in the Kochi IPL consortium.

Speaking to the media on November 24,Sonia had clubbed Tharoors name with former external affairs minister Natwar Singh and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan,citing their resignations to show how we deal with matters of corruption.

Shashi Tharoor,we asked him to resign. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra,immediately after United States President Obama left,we asked him to resign, she had said.

In his letter,the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram has argued that he did not resign because he was involved in corruption. He has said that he resigned on moral grounds as one of his friends had taken sweat equity which is not a financial irregularity,said Congress sources.

Tharoors letter appeared to have some effect as Sonia chose to clarify at the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting on December 13 that those who resigned only faced allegations which were yet to be proved. Even when no charge has been established or no misconduct has been proved,we have asked ministers and chief ministers to step down,pending an inquiry, she said.

Earlier this month,The Sunday Express sent three emails to Tharoor seeking his comment on the letter,but he did not respond. Reminded of the emails at a dinner hosted by Union Minister of State Rural Development Agatha Sangma on Friday evening,Tharoor said: I have a good reason not to respond.

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In fact,his letter may have a bearing on the partys political resolution at the plenary session also as the drafting committee was learnt to be discussing the issue of whether to specifically name ministers while referring to the partys intolerance for corruption and misconduct. Party leaders were of the view that mentioning names would suggest culpability on their part.

Meanwhile,former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan has no complaints about Sonia naming him in the context of corruption. Whatever our leader says is right. Why should I have any problem? he told The Sunday Express.