Minister Kiren Rijiju said Shashi Tharoor accepted that the Congress party was anti-women during a conversation following a Parliament session [1, 2].
This exchange highlights the ongoing political friction between the ruling administration and the opposition regarding gender representation and party ideology. The admission, if verified, provides political leverage for the government to criticize the opposition's historical approach to women's rights.
According to Rijiju, the conversation occurred after a session of Parliament [1, 2]. He said that "Shashi Tharoor accepted that Congress was anti-women" [1]. The revelation follows a separate incident where Tharoor had shared a picture to clarify his own position to the minister [2].
In that earlier exchange, Tharoor reportedly pointed out that he personally could not be called "mahila virodhi," which translates to anti-women [2]. Rijiju's current comments suggest a distinction between Tharoor's individual record and the broader institutional stance of the Congress party [1, 2].
The timing of these remarks coincides with broader debates in the Indian legislature over social policy and party conduct. While Tharoor has sought to distance himself from such labels, the minister's account suggests a private acknowledgment of party failings [1, 2].
No official response from Tharoor regarding the specific claim that he admitted the party was anti-women was included in the reports [1, 2]. The interaction underscores the complex nature of diplomatic exchanges between opposing political figures within the halls of Parliament [1, 2].
“"Shashi Tharoor accepted that Congress was anti-women"”
This clash illustrates the strategy of separating individual reputations from party identities in Indian politics. By claiming that Tharoor conceded the party's flaws while defending his own record, Rijiju attempts to frame the Congress party as institutionally biased against women, regardless of the individual members' stances.
