Speaking to reporters here, Tharoor said that his article in an English daily did not contain any political references. He emphasised that his focus was solely on Kerala’s growth in entrepreneurship and innovation, aiming to highlight the state’s development in that specific area.
Tharoor’s response followed the political storm triggered by his article in the English daily, where he praised Kerala’s entrepreneurial growth under the LDF government. While his party questioned the basis of his claims, the CPI(M) welcomed them.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday attacked the opposition stating that Tharoor’s article had debunked the false propaganda spread by the Congress-led UDF against Kerala.
However, responding to the issue, KPCC president K Sudhakaran accused the Left government of inflating small enterprise figures, but did not mention Tharoor by name.
Tharoor said, ”I wrote the article based on the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2024, which stated that Kerala attracted an investment of 1.7 billion US Dollars within 18 months. If anyone challenges the accuracy of this fact, I will relay it to those who published the report.” The Congress leader also clarified that he does not believe that the overall industrial environment in Kerala has changed. Kerala is still facing a major economic crisis, with 80 per cent of state PSUs running at a loss, he stated.
Tharoor further said that he had voiced his opposition over several other issues, including youth unemployment, noting that Kerala ranks second after Jammu and Kashmir in terms of high unemployment rates.
He claimed that the state is facing a crisis due to the migration of educated youth and challenges in the agricultural sector, particularly in rubber, cashew, and pineapple farming.
In a latest Facebook post on Sunday, Tharoor said that his article is not an attempt to assess the entire economic situation of Kerala.
”I wrote this article as an MP, focusing on a specific issue in Kerala the transformation of the business environment driven by the growth of the startup sector,” his post said.
”I take this opportunity to proudly acknowledge that it was former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, as a Congressman, who laid the foundation for this progress. The developments stem from his initiatives, including the launch of the Startup Village and the state’s Startup Mission. The current government has naturally carried them forward,” it added.
Responding to the criticism, he said that comment only after reading the article as there is nothing about party politics in it.
”I am talking about what Kerala needs to do to come out of the economic crisis. I have said many times about the economic progress of Kerala in the last 16 years,” he said.
Earlier in a FB post, Tharoor defended his article, saying that not highlighting the industrial advancements made during the previous UDF regime was not intentional.
Referring to the issue, CM Vijayan stated that Tharoor’s article had exposed and countered the false propaganda spread by the UDF against Kerala.
”The Leader of Opposition openly claims that Kerala is not business-friendly, making them an opposition to the state itself,” he alleged while speaking at a party meeting in Kannur.
Meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF strongly criticised Tharoor, accusing him of ”overlooking” the contributions made to the industrial sector during its tenure in the state.
KPCC chief Sudhakaran, however, accused the Vijayan government of exaggerating Kerala’s small enterprise growth by including chicken shops, ’thattukadas’ (street food stalls), and even non-operational businesses in its figures.
In a statement on Sunday, he said, ”If the CPM, which once had a history of attacking entrepreneurs and smashing computers, has had a change of heart, it is welcome. But there is nothing to boast about.” Responding to Tharoor’s claim, IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty on Sunday said that Kerala’s industrial landscape saw a big transformation during the consecutive Congress-led UDF governments under K Karunakaran, A K Antony and Oommen Chandy.
Addressing the media at Malappuram, he highlighted various projects implemented during his tenure as Industries Minister, stating that KINFRA and Infopark were initiatives launched by the UDF government, despite facing strong opposition at the time.
”When the UDF later became the opposition, it did not take a similar stance against such developments,” he said, adding that a political response on Tharoor’s issue will be made at the appropriate time.
In a scathing attack, UDF convener M M Hasan stated that if Tharoor wishes to express views that contradict the party and the front’s stance, he should have the decency to resign from the Congress Working Committee (CWC).
He accused Tharoor of making statements without understanding the ground reality, calling the content of his article ”unrealistic and baseless”.
However, responding to statements about his CWC member post, Tharoor stated that no one has demanded his resignation from the CWC or brought the issue before the party high command. ”If such a demand arises, will look into it at that time,” he said.
