Thiruvananthapuram: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has issued a clarification over his remark at a Palestine solidarity rally in which he said that the October 7 attack on Israel was a terrorist strike, triggering backlash from the party’s ally in Kerala IUML and some pro-Hamas groups on social media. Tharoor said that he has always been with the people of Palestione. He had earlier called Hamas a terrorist group while also condemning the continuous bombing by Israel in Gaza as part of its war against the outfit.
What did Tharoor say that led to backlash?
"This may well be one of the most significant political rallies we have seen in India and perhaps across the world in defence of human rights and in favour of peace. This is a rally for peace," the Thiruvananthapuram MP had said.
The IUML, a key ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, organised a massive rally in northern Kozhikode on Thursday (October 26) denouncing the reported indiscriminate killings of civilians in the Israeli attack on the Gaza strip.
Tharoor, who was the chief guest, had called the war “one of the most distressing human rights catastrophes” witnessed over the past several days.
“For 19 days, the world has been seeing the worst human-rights tragedies. We are seeing the worst tragedy. Terrorists attacked Israel, Hamas is a terror group. Israel stopped providing food, water and electricity to Gaza. We are condemning the bombing of Israel. We have always stood for a permanent solution to this crisis," Tharoor had said at an event held at Kozhikode, which was organised by the Indian Union Muslim League a day ago.
In unequivocal terms, the Congress leader had also condemned the attack carried out by Palestinian armed group, deemed a terror organisation by several nations, Hamas, and described it an “act of terror”.
"On October 7, terrorists attacked Israel and claimed 1,400 lives. Two hundred individuals were taken hostage. In response, Israel killed 6,000 people. The bombing continues," Theroor had said.
Huge backlash against Tharoor
CPI(M) leader and former MLA M Swaraj alleged that some of Tharoor’s remarks were pro-Israel and he did not admit that it was a “terrorist nation”.
Taking a dig at the Thiruvananthapuram MP, Swaraj said what he had done was an Israel solidarity meeting at the expense of the IUML.
LDF MLA K T Jaleel also criticised Tharoor and alleged his speech would give the impression that it was a pro-Israel rally.
Tharoor issues clarification
When faced with intense social media attack from pro-Hamas groups and a section of Left activists, Tharoor issued a clarification and said that he was always with the people of Palestine and he does not agree with the propagation of just one sentence from his speech, which he made at the IUML rally.
"I have always been with the people of Palestine," Tharoor said in a short video released by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).
(With PTI inputs)
