While reacting to the appointment of Shashi Tharoor as Minister of State Human Resources Development in the new Manmohan Singh cabinet, Narendra Modi launched a personal attack on Sunanda and Shashi Tharoor by calling Sunanda Tharoor a “50 Crore Girlfriend.”
There were allegations that Tharoor used Sunanda as a front to collect Rs. 70 crores for helping the Kochi owners get their IPL team.
Shashi Tharoor, who made a come back to the Union Council of Ministers, said today he had suffered in the past without committing any sin but did not want to waste time by thinking about it.
“I am a person who had to face accusations without committing any sin,” he said, referring to the circumstances that led to his resignation from the Ministry in 2010.
Tharoor’s short stint as Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs came to an end when he had to resign amid a controversy over allegations pertaining to his role and of Sunanda Pushkar (now his wife) in Kochi IPL team.
Tharoor, who was made Minister of State for Human Resources in yesterday’s reshuffle, told reporters that instead of wasting time by ruminating on the past, he would prefer to think about what could be done in the future.
“I think old wounds are healed. I now have a portfolio through which I can do a lot of good for the country and the state. A lot can be done because education and training come under my portfolio,” he said.
Tharoor, who represents Thiruvananthapuram in the Lok Sabha, was given a rousing welcome on his return to the state capital after being sworn in as minister.
With PTI inputs