Love for Kerala doesn’t absolve Tharoor: BJP
April 20th, 2010 - 5:41 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) Unimpressed by Shashi Tharoor’s emotional defence in parliament on the IPL row, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday said his love for Kerala doesn’t “absolve” the former minister of wrongdoing.
“His love for Kerala, that was the highlight of his speech, doesn’t absolve him of corruption charges,” BJP deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde told IANS.
Tharoor, forced to quit over his alleged links to the controversial Kochi Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, spoke for the first time after he quit as minister of state for external affairs. He said his conscience was clear and he had done nothing wrong.
“I have done nothing improper or unethical, let alone illegal… I have requested the prime minister to have these charges against me thoroughly investigated,” Tharoor, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, told the Lok Sabha.
However, the BJP, which has charged Tharoor with impropriety and corruption, said there was nothing substantive in his speech to absolve him of “misusing his office for his woman friend”.
“He said nothing in his speech. He said he has done nothing wrong, but can he justify how his friend got the stake worth crores,” Munde added.
Tharoor, 54, was blamed for misusing office in favouring his Dubai-based friend Sunanda Pushkar to secure sweat equity in the IPL Kochi franchise worth Rs.70 crore. Some critics alleged that Pushkar was a front for Tharoor — a charge both have denied.
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- Tharoor's fate uncertain, Pushkar gives up IPL stake (Roundup) - Apr 18, 2010
- Explain why Tharoor has not quit, BJP to PM (Lead) - Apr 16, 2010
- Mired in IPL row, Shashi Tharoor steps down - Apr 19, 2010
- Modi-Tharoor IPL row snowballs, BJP wants Tharoor sacked (Roundup) - Apr 13, 2010
- BJP guns for Tharoor, wants CBI to probe IPL deal (Lead) - Apr 13, 2010
- Hurt Tharoor says he is ready for 'thorough probe' (Third Lead) - Apr 20, 2010
- Mired in IPl row, Shashi Tharoor quits (Night Lead) - Apr 19, 2010
- Why is no Kerala bigwig coming out in support of Tharoor? - Apr 18, 2010
- PM on Tharoor row: Politics has ups and downs - Apr 17, 2010
- Combative Tharoor denies Modi charges, says won't resign (Intro roundup) - Apr 14, 2010
- Tharoor faces more flak, Pushkar denies being his proxy (Roundup) - Apr 14, 2010
- Parliament adjourned till noon over Tharoor- IPL Kochi controversy - Apr 16, 2010
- Curtains down on Tharoor controversy: Congress, BJP - Apr 19, 2010
Tags: conscience, corruption charges, deputy leader, external affairs, franchise, gopinath munde, impropriety, kerala, kochi, Lok Sabha, minister of state, New Delhi, premier league, pushkar, shashi tharoor, sweat equity, thiruvananthapuram, woman friend, worth rs, wrongdoing