Was told parliamentary disruptions part of our culture: Shashi Tharoor

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.

Asked why his party obstruct 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 here, reports IANS.

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 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.