Shashi Tharoor asserts he is against parliamentary disruptions, says he has been told it is 'part of our culture'

New Delhi: Asserting he was against disruption of parliamentary proceedings, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said that he has been told “it is part of our culture and all parties have done it” and thus why should his party be an exception. [caption id=“attachment_2688504” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Shashi Tharoor. AFP[/caption]

Asked why his party obstructs Parliament so much while the BJP did it when Congress-led UPA was in power, Tharoor said: “… I am the wrong person to ask this. I am well known as a dissenter about parliamentary disruptions. I don’t agree with it though.”

“But the fact is as I have been told that - I have come to Indian politics 8-9 years ago - it’s been going on for 20 years. It is part of our culture.. This is how it happens and all parties have done it, why should we be an exception,” he said during an interactive session at the Times Lit Fest. Tharoor also added: “You go to a missionary school… they teach you the golden rule… ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’… In Indian politics, the golden rule is… Do unto others, what they have done unto you… That’s exactly what is going on…” The interaction also included senior journalists Rajdeep Sardesai, Nalin Mehta and former Indian cricketer Bishen Singh Bedi. Tharoor also took a dig at BJP government for opposing the policies of the UPA government when they were in the opposition but later bringing in the same when they came to power. “I can list number of things they actively opposed when they (BJP) were in opposition, which they have done since coming to power.. The Indo-US Nuclear Deal, adoption of GST, FDI in insurance and retail,” he said. “The worst example is the nuclear deal.. because we know from Wikileaks that even while they were opposing it and holding a no-confidence vote against the government to bring it down on the issue, they were privately assuring the American envoys that they were not really against it at all, but as long as they were in opposition they are going to oppose,” he added. “So that is BJP’s dharma, not ours. We supported GST until the BJP messed it up,” he said.