'It's a rare privilege, within a matter of months, I have changed my residence, my profession, my daily thrust of work, and it's in some ways quite invigorating,' Shashi Tharoor, minister of state for external affairs, tells Aziz Haniffa in an exclusive interview.
The Congress MP said he had been "troubled" by the US tariff regime from the very beginning, adding that India was already at a disadvantage compared to its regional competitors.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday said India's presence at the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, at the level of a Minister of State, was in stark contrast to the heads of state gathered there, and wondered whether the decision reflects "strategic restraint" or "missed opportunity".
The political and ideological differences between the Congress and Shashi Tharoor is no longer a matter of whispers.
Sources close to the top BJP leadership tell me that Tharoor has already had secret meetings with the BJP's top brass and is waiting patiently to make his next move, reports Ramesh Menon.
A parliamentary panel on external affairs has expressed concern over China's growing presence and influence in the Indian Ocean Region, citing risks to India's national security and strategic interests. The panel also highlighted the strengthening China-Pakistan naval nexus as a cause for concern.
It is final. Shashi Tharoor is quitting the government. At last, the minister of state for external affairs is bowing out under the pressure from the Congress party.
Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor enjoys an eventful day in Manhattan, NYC.
Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor has learnt that humour has no place in Indian politics. George Joseph meets the newly-cautious Tharoor, and finds out why the satirical novelist enjoys being part of the Indian government.
K Karunakaran, the former chief minister of Kerala, who was hospitalised in a critical condition has now started meeting and talking to people, Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor who met the veteran leader told media persons on Saturday.
Author and politician Shashi Tharoor chats with Sumita Vaid Dixit about writing, tweeting and world affairs.
The government nominated Tharoor, who serves as chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, to lead one of the seven multi-party delegations abroad for putting across India's stand against Pakistan for supporting terrorism.
Sources said the party has picked up some other leaders who will represent it during the 16-hour debate.
Misri is also likely to brief the parliamentary panel on the recent upswing in India's ties with China following the agreement to resume patrolling at friction points along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.
Tharoor had earlier criticised India's stance when Russia attacked Ukraine and called for condemnation of the aggression.
A big question mark is on whether Shashi Tharoor, who had led the delegation to the US among other countries, will be picked as speaker by the Congress, as the seasoned Lok Sabha member's enthusiastic endorsement of the government's action following the terror attack has soured his ties with his party.
The sources said Misri reiterated the government's stand that the decision to stop military actions was taken at a bilateral level, as some opposition members questioned US President Donald Trump's repeated assertions about his administration's role in stopping the conflict.
Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Shashi Tharoor on Thursday said he has differences of opinion with some in the party leadership, but he is not going to speak about them in light of the bypoll in the Nilambur constituency.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has criticized the BJP for its allegations that elements in the American "deep state" were behind attempts to destabilize India, saying this "attack-dog" behavior is an embarrassment to India. Tharoor's comments come after the US rejected the BJP's allegations, describing them as "disappointing" and asserting that the US government is a champion of media freedom. The BJP had alleged that the US deep state colluded with the media portal OCCRP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to "damage" India's image.
Tharoor said that though India's case might not be at the top of the agenda for the US media, India can get its message across easily.
"China is an absolutely impossible factor to ignore in what has been our confrontation with Pakistan," Tharoor said.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who faced trolling on social media in the wake of India and Pakistan reaching an understanding on May 10 to halt all military actions, has received support from veteran diplomat Nirupama Menon Rao, a body of Indian diplomats and a host of politicians from several parties.
The proposed legislation on Emigration (Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2024) seeks to replace the Emigration Act of 1983 with a view to facilitate the circular mobility of people intending to emigrate for overseas employment.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has condemned the manner in which Indians staying illegally in the US were deported, calling it an 'insult to India and the dignity of Indians'. He urged the Indian government to issue a message to the US, making it clear that it has no right to deport people in such an 'insulting manner'. Tharoor also pointed out that Colombia had previously refused to accept suspected immigrants of Colombian origin under similar circumstances, officially protesting when people were sent back in handcuffs. He demanded an explanation for the 'atrocious behavior' from the US government.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has conceded that he was wrong in opposing India's stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, stating that the country's current position allows it to play a significant role in achieving lasting peace. Tharoor, who had initially criticized India's neutrality, now acknowledges that the policy has positioned India as a mediator, capable of engaging with both Russia and Ukraine.
'The Congress submitted four names to the government as the people who should accompany the delegation.' 'I don't know what happened to those names.' 'When I was approached, I told them to speak to my party.' 'I have no further involvement with this delegation.'
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Tuesday that judging by US President Donald Trump's initial statements, there is never going to be a dull moment during his presidency, and expressed hope that the Indo-US ties are in a "good shape". He also raised concerns about the potential impact of Trump's policies on trade and illegal migration on India. Tharoor said that there might be pressure on India to either remove tariffs on American goods or suffer high tariffs on Indian exports to America.
'It is high time that the 'war on terror' is removed from our diplomatic toolbox.' 'Certainly, our parliamentarians have no role in it,' asserts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Central security agencies have traced a local phone number from which the alleged death threat from Dawood Ibrahim gang was made to an aide of Minister of State External Affairs Shashi Tharoor. Official sources said on Wednesday the number used for sending the alleged threat SMS, received by the personal staff of Tharoor, belonged to Delhi circle and the hunt for the sender is on.
'We are very grateful that the US takes the trouble to keep us informed and to consult with us as this situation is being managed by them,' Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor tells rediff.com's Aziz Haniffa.
Under fire, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor will make a statement on the IPL controversy in the Lok Sabha at noon in the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal on Friday.
"This follows disgraceful attacks on the Indian cultural centre, temples and Hindu homes in several places, even as reports came in of Muslim civilians protecting other minority homes and places of worship," Tharoor said in a post on X.
A day after he was publicly chided by his senior minister S M Krishna, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor said on Monday that he has missed "brouhaha" on the issue but refused to add anything to his earlier comments.
Refusing to join issue with China over Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, India on Tuesday expressed hope that Chinese 'rhetoric' will stop after the Tibetan leader's trip comes to an end. Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor also rejected as 'silly' -- the reminder about 1962 war by an anonymous Chinese scholar in a newspaper article there -- and underlined that India has come a long way since then.
On his maiden visit to the city, minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor conceded that the short-coming in the current visa regulations had led to the inflow of blue-collared workers on business visas, especially from China.
A delegation of Latin American ambassadors, which visited Thiruvananthapuram when Tharoor was the MoS, were all praise for him for the attention he gave them, particularly to facilitate their visit to his own constituency. Now, with only one MoS in the ministry, the ambassadors from Africa, Latin America and the Gulf have no chance of meeting the MoS. By his exit, Tharoor has left a wide gulf in the ministry
"Our foreign policy debates in Parliament and the media seem obsessed with Pakistan or with ephemera, or worse ephemera about Pakistan," he said, during the annual convocation of Mangalore University while underlining the need for improving study of international affairs.
Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor on Monday expressed appreciation over Indian Ambassador to the United States Meera Shankar informing the Indian government about reports of corruption. However, he remained mum over the Centre's delay in taking action against officials who had allegedly accepted bribes from US companies. The government would initiate action against corrupt officials at the earliest, he added.
Both Houses of Parliament had to be adjourned on Friday during Question Hour after Opposition parties created an uproar demanding that Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor submit his resignation over the Kochi IPL ownership controversy.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday condemned as 'utterly irresponsible' Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor's remark that Saudi Arabia could act as an interlocutor between India and Pakistan, saying it will seek a clarification from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament.
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