Tharoor meets Pranab, clarifies his position

NEW DELHI - Senior Congress leader and Union Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defense Minister A.K.Antony held a meet with Minister of State for External Affairs minister Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday evening.

The meet was reportedly held over Union Minister Shashi Tharoor and Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi’s row, at the residence of Mukherjee.

The meet lasted over two hours; till late Wednesday evening.

It is believed Tharoor clarified his position to both the senior congressmen.

Earlier, on Wednesday evening, Pranab Mukherjee had summoned Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor to discuss the controversy over his links with the Kochi Indian Premier League (IPL).

Pranab and Antony’s meet reportedly continued even after Tharoor had left.

Earlier in the evening, Tharoor accompanied by another senior Congress leader and Defense Minister A.K.Antony, had reached Pranab’s residence 13, Talkatora road in New Delhi.

Mukherjee’s summons came hours after Congress President Sonia Gandhi discussed the matter with senior party leaders and senior Union Ministers.

Tharoor is at the centre of a controversy over IPL team that was sold to Kochi last month for 1530 crores.

One of Tharoor’s close associate Sunanda Pushkar, was gifted equity worth 70 crores by the team-owners.

On Monday, in a comment on social networking site twitter, the IPL commissioner Lalit Modi revealed details of Kochi team’s stakes. (ANI)