Kochi: Opposition Leader V D Satheesan on Sunday accepted the rumour that he is jealous of Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor. “He (Tharoor) possesses the skills and knowledge that I simply do not have, and I am jealous of him for that. However, it is also a fact that I like and respect him,” said Satheesan.
He also accused the media of portraying him as the villain in this controversy. He was speaking at the closing ceremony of a conclave organised by the All-India Professionals’ Congress.
V D Satheesan’s words:
The media is trying hard to drive a wedge between Congress leaders in the Tharoor issue. Somehow, I’ve been made the villain of this story. However, one cannot always be the hero. Every story needs a villain too, doesn’t it? Without a villain, it just becomes your run-of-the-mill story. This time, it was me who was destined to play the anti-hero and it seems there isn’t much I can do about it. Such is my line of work. Hence, I have no complaints.
However, stories, like I did not talk to Tharoor during the event in Thiruvananthapuram, were fabricated by the media. I talk to people I both like and dislike. During the inauguration of the Hyatt Hotel, I did greet him when we met.
Earlier, Tharoor, speaking at the same event, said he has not acted against the party’s directives and he did not know why a controversy was created over his recent political trip in the state. Tharoor said he was not upset or angry with anyone in the Congress state leadership.
“We are not in kindergarten to refrain from talking to each other,” Tharoor said when reporters asked him whether he would interact with state Congress chief K Sudhakaran and Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan.