'Lesson to be learned': Cong distances itself from Chidambaram's remarks on Rishi Sunak as UK PM

NEW DELHI: The Congress disagreed with its leaders P Chidambaram and Shashi Tharoor on the fact that India needs to “draw lessons” from the UK where a minority leader consolidated the Prime Minister's position. Jairam Ramesh who is the main Congress body’s general secretary of communications said that India has always respected diversity. Ramesh gave examples of Zakir Hussain, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, and A P J Abdul Kalam as people from minority groups who held top positions in the country.  "In our country, Dr. Zakir Hussain first became the President in 1967, then Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed became the President and Dr Abdul Kalam and if I keep giving you examples, Barkatullah Khan became chief minister and A R Antulay also became the chief minister," he told reporters.

What did P Chidambaram and Shashi Tharoor say?

P Chidambaram and Shashi Tharoor celebrated the news of Indian-origin Rishi Sunak becoming UK’s 57th Prime Minister. In addition, they remarked that India needs to learn a lesson from this event. The event being -- a minority getting the opportunity to lead a country. Tharoor and Chidambaram “hoped” that this would occur in India someday.

"First Kamala Harris, now Rishi Sunak. The people of the US and the UK have embraced the non-majority citizens of their countries and elected them to high office in government," Chidambaram said on Twitter.

First Kamala Harris, now Rishi Sunak

The people of the U.S. and the U.K have embraced the non-majority citizens of their countries and elected them to high office in government

I think there is a lesson to learned by India and the parties that practise majoritarianism — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) October 24, 2022

 

Tharoor wrote on Twitter, "If this does happen, I think all of us will have to acknowledge that the Brits have done something very rare in the world, to place a member of a visible minority in the most powerful office. As we Indians celebrate the ascent of @RishiSunak, let's honestly ask: can it happen here.”

If this does happen, I think all of us will have to acknowledge that theBrits have done something very rare in the world,to place a member of a visible minority in the most powerful office. As we Indians celebrate the ascent of @RishiSunak, let's honestly ask: can it happen here? https://t.co/UrDg1Nngfv — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 24, 2022

 

लगान से लगाम तक। सिर्फ 75 साल में। जय हिंद !  pic.twitter.com/11hGcRnMJI — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 25, 2022

 

Rishi Sunak becomes new UK PM

Rishi Sunak became the first Indian-origin Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on Oct 24 – on the day of Diwali. He succeeded Liz Truss who was the shortest-serving PM in the history of the UK.