Tharoor battles allegations, Cong asks self-explanation

New Delhi, April 13 (PTI) Controversy-prone Shashi
Tharoor Tuesday battled allegations that a beautician
romantically linked to him had received Rs 70-crore free
equity in Kochi IPL team and his party, the Congress told the
minister to explain for himself.
In clear indications that trouble was brewing for the
54-year-old Indian minister of state for external affairs, the
Congress first appeared to defend him but within hours did a
U-turn to say, "let him explain."
Tharoor's latest troubles started with the Indian Premier
League Commissioner Lalit Modi publicly disclosing the names
of some of the owners of a consortium that recently bought the
Kochi IPL franchise for a whopping USD 333 million. Rendezvous
Sports World private limited, the company that led the
consortium, received 25 per cent free equity.
Out of this free equity, 19 per cent is said to have gone
to Sunanda Pushkar, a Kashmiri beautician closely linked to
Tharoor who is reportedly planning to marry her after
divorcing his second wife, a Canadian. This equity is valued
at nearly USD 16 million(approx. Rs 70 crores).
Tharoor admitted "mentoring" the consortium and said in a
statement " Rendezvous includes a number of people including
many I have never met, and Sunanda Pushkar, whom I know well."
He denied any wrongdoing.
Bhartiya Janata Party lost no time in attacking Tharoor
and demanding his sacking from the Government for alleged
corruption. It also sought a Central Bureau of Investigation
probe into the entire nature of the transaction involving
Sunanda.
On behalf of the Congress, party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed
dismissed the BJP demand as absurd and said that the
controversy was not an embarassment to the party.
In a quick volte face, Ahmed's boss Janardhan Dwivedi,
head of the media cell and the party general secretary, said
that the party had nothing to do with the controversy. "Let
him explain. Let others explain what is the truth," he said.
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