Wharton shouldn't have disinvited Modi, says Tharoor; BJP agrees with him

New Delhi: BJP leader and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has found support from an unexpected quarter. Congress minister Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said that Wharton should have heard him out. In what is being seen as a complete contradiction of his party's view, Tharoor has said that Wharton should have gone ahead with Modi's speech if they had invited him.

However, the Minister of State for HRD said that while he wasn't going against the party's view. Tharoor also feels that Wharton shouldn't have taken back the invite. Instead Wharton authorities and students should have raised tough questions to the Gujarat Chief Minister.

Modi was to address the Wharton India Economic Forum as keynote speaker but the university cancelled his invite two days back.

Union Minister Shashi Tharoor said that Wharton authorities should have raised tough questions to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

The Congress minister also said that he was invited to deliver the keynote address six-seven weeks ago but declined it due to his Parliamentary commitments and suggested that Wharton approach someone else who does not have Parliamentary priorities. "Perhaps that is why they went to a Chief Minister, I don't know," Tharoor said recalling that he had addressed Wharton India Economic Forum four years back and since then was being invited for the same every year but could not go thereafter.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Balbir Punj too backed Tharoor's comment and said that Wharton's behaviour is indecent. "I agree with Shashi Tharoor. It is not good behaviour on the university's part to first extend an invite and then back out on that," said Punj.

With Additonal Inputs from PTI

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