Congress leaders in Kerala have criticised the party’s Thiruvananthapuram MP, Shashi Tharoor, for his statement praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit and his article lauding the LDF government‘s industrial policy in Kerala.

Congress leaders, including Opposition Leader VD Satheesan, criticised Tharoor for praising the outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit, particularly his remarks that he was “very encouraged and looked forward to more details”.

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Speaking to media persons in Kochi on Saturday, Satheesan said, “I don’t think any good has taken place in the Trump-Modi meeting at all.” KPCC president K Sudhakaran said that the party would examine Tharoor’s remarks.

Sashi Tharoor on Friday praised the outcomes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States. Expressing happiness over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump, the Congress MP said it appears that major concerns have been addressed and called the US commitment to sell F-35 stealth aircraft to India “very valued”.

Tharoor’s remarks came just hours after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at Modi over his ties with businessman Gautam Adani. “If you ask questions in the country, there is silence. If you ask abroad, it is a personal matter. Even in America, Modiji covered up Adaniji’s corruption. When filling a friend’s pocket becomes ‘nation-building,” Rahul said.

Taking a different stance from Rahul Gandhi, Tharoor called US President Donald Trump’s admiration for Modi “astonishing”.

“Calling Mr Modi a better negotiator than himself is remarkable because Mr Trump takes pride in his deal-making abilities. His own Defence Secretary recently called him the greatest negotiator in the world, yet here he is saying Modi is better than him. That’s high praise from a man not known for giving compliments easily. This is good news,” Tharoor said.

Coming out against Tharoor’s praise for the LDF government’s industrial policy,  VD Satheesan said Kerala is not a state with favourable industrial conditions and that he was not sure if Tharoor had written the article based on real studies.

Questioning the credibility of Tharoor’s data on startups, Tharoor said, “I do not know from where Tharoor got these figures about the growth of MSMEs in Kerala. Many of the Kerala diaspora who return from abroad open shops, bakeries, and small ventures, but how can such ventures be accounted into the MSME figures?”

In his article, ‘Changing Kerala: Lumbering jumbo to a lithe tiger’, published in The New Indian Express on Friday, Tharoor highlighted Kerala’s new industrial policy, focusing on knowledge-based industries like AI, blockchain, and machine learning.

“Kerala, with its strong historical foundation and strategic economic initiatives, has emerged as a dynamic centre for startups. Kerala’s startup ecosystem has experienced impressive valuations and rapid scaling, positioning the state as a key player in India’s economic ascent and a recognised leader in fostering entrepreneurial excellence,” Tharoor says in the article.

“The state has implemented a new industrial policy focusing on knowledge-based industries, including AI, blockchain technology, and machine learning. Under the state’s “Year of Enterprises” initiative, over 2,90,000 MSMEs have been established, with significant investments and support for women and transgender entrepreneurs. I had been constrained to observe in the past that “god’s own country” was the devil’s own playground for business. If that is no longer true, we all have reasons to celebrate,” he further says in the article.

KPCC President K Sudhakaran said that he did not read the article. Mocking Tharoor’s article, former KPCC president K Muraleedharan said, “Tharoor is a universal citizen. The High Command should take a decision on his stance. A normal Congress worker like me cannot accept the LDF government‘s  policies in Kerala.”

Senior  Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said that the claims in  Tharoor’s article were far from reality. “I don’t think Tharoor knows the facts. Enterprises shut down in a minute here in Kerala,” Chennithala said.

Meanwhile, Tharoor defended his praise for Kerala’s startup ecosystem, stating that he has always acknowledged good initiatives, regardless of which party implements them. “I made these observations based on the Global Startup Ecosystem ranking, not solely on the government‘s efforts,” he told media persons here on Saturday.