The “unnatural” death of his wife, Sunanda Pushkar, is continuing to haunt Union Minister Shashi Tharoor even on the poll scene in Thiruvananthapuram where he is the candidate of the Congress-led UDF with a determined CPI(M)-led lDF deciding to make it one of the main campaign tools against him.
On Wednesday, VS Achuthanandan, Opposition leader in the State Assembly and one of the lDF’s chief campaigners for the lok Sabha polls in Kerala, sought initiation of a case against Tharoor as Sunanda had died an unnatural death within three years of their marriage. He wanted to know why the Government was not acting as per the law of the land in the case.
Achuthanandan’s demand came a day after Tharoor approached the Election Commission against a CPI MlA, VS Sunilkumar, who had raised the issue of Sunanda’s death during a TV debate. Tharoor had also complained against former minister M Vijayakumar of the CPI(M) for calling him a persecutor of women, arguably in connection with Sunanda’s death.
CPI(M) Politbureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan made the determination of the left clear on Wednesday by saying that an issue like Sunanda’s death would indeed become a discussion point in the election.
“What Tharoor should have done is to take a decision that he would not fight an election till the controversies related to the incident were over,” Kodiyeri said.
In a statement issued in Thiruvananthapuram, Achuthanandan said that the Indian law made the registration of a case against the husband imperative in the case of the unnatural death of the wife occurring within seven years of marriage. Tharoor and Sunanda were married only for less than three years when she was found dead in a hotel room in Delhi, he pointed out.
The hospital authorities and the police had said that there was mystery behind Sunanda’s death and even the autopsy had agreed with this, Achuthanandan said. In that situation, a case should have been registered against Tharoor but this had not been done, he said. Achuthanandan wanted the Congress’s national leadership and the Union Government to explain this.
On Wednesday, the District Collector in Thiruvananthapuram, also the Returning Officer, issued notices seeking explanation to CPI(M) leader M Vijayakumar, former minister and former Assembly Speaker, and CPI MlA Sunilkumar on the basis of a complaint Tharoor had lodged the other day that the two leaders had been carrying out character assassination against him.
During the inauguration of an election office of the lDF in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, Vijayakumar had said, “Tharoor is a doctor but he is not a medical doctor. I don’t know in what subject he has taken a doctorate. However, I am sure that he could get a doctorate in the subject of harassment of women.”
At the same time, poll-watchers and political analysts aired the opinion that it was only natural that the death of Sunanda Pushkar was being brought up as an issue in the election by Tharoor’s opponents. However, the State Congress leadership came out in total support of Tharoor though there were Congressmen who differed.
“Shashi should realize that he is not a private individual anymore. Questions will be asked and criticisms would be leveled against him, especially during elections. But his opponents should be careful to ensure that such criticisms do not cross the boundaries of decency and the poll code,” said a Congress leader who had opposed the nomination of Tharoor in 2009.
Sunil Kumar was served the notice for allegedly leveling accusations against Tharoor in connection with the death of his wife. The TV channel on which Sunilkumar had made the allegations has also been served with notice. Further action will be taken after Vijayakumar and Sunilkumar file their explanations.