No Tharoor, No Rajnath Singh; Veer Savarkar award mired in controversy

NEW DELHI: Congress Working Committee member and MP Shashi Tharoor rejected the award instituted in the name of Veer Savarkar by High Range Rural Development Society (HRDS) India, a Sangh Parivar-affiliated NGO. Tharoor said that the award was announced without asking him. Tharoor made his displeasure public through his X account after the award announcement became controversial.

Tharoor said that he came to know about the award through the media. He called the action of the organisers, who announced the award without asking him, irresponsible.

“I was informed by some media outlets in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday that I was selected for this award. When I reached Delhi yesterday, some national media outlets raised questions about the award. That is why I am now clearing the air.” Said Shashi Tharoor.

Tharoor said there was no question of his attending the function as there was a lack of clarity about the nature of the award, the organisation, and the occasion for giving it.

Meanwhile, former Union Minister and senior BJP leader V. Muraleedharan, who was also on the list of awardees, did not attend the ceremony held at the NDMC Convention Centre in New Delhi yesterday. Only musician M. Jayachandran was present from Kerala. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who was expected to present the award, also skipped the event. The awards were distributed by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.