Prime Minister Narendra Modi showered with praise Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday for his recent speech at University of Oxford. The occasion was a function to launch a workshop for MPs under a new think-tank, Speaker’s Research Initiative.
Tharoor, for his part, had praised the PM last year, subsequently accepted his invitation to join the “Clean India” drive, hailed his yoga campaign and said he had left a positive impact on the countries he had visited.
Tharoor was the only Congress MP present at Thursday’s function. When a journalist pointed it out, Tharoor said he had not noticed it. He said he had come because the Speaker had invited him.
The Congress sought to downplay the bonhomie. Ghulam Nabi Azad said that one could praise someone for his good work. Azad said the Prime Minister had praised him, too, during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
At the function, Modi said some members had a mastery over rules and procedures. In this context, he lauded Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy, who was present. Roy is known for his points of order and is generally on sure ground when he gets up to make a point in the Lok Sabha.
