Will contest the charges: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dr Shashi Tharoor has termed the chargesheet against him as "preposterous" and vowed to contest it vigorously.  "I have taken note of the filing of this preposterous chargesheet & intend to contest it vigorously," the Congress leader tweeted amidst a meeting of Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs that he chairs. "No one who knew Sunanda believes she would ever have committed suicide, let alone abetment on my part," he tweeted.

"It does not speak well of the methods or motivations of the Delhi Police. In Oct 17, the Law Officer made a statement in the Delhi High Court that they have not found anything against anyone & now in 6 months they say that I have abetted a suicide. unbelievable!" Congress sources told DC that Mr Tharoor is expected to kick off his foreign trip in a day or two and is expected back in his constituency here only later next month. 

Meanwhile, his party rallied behind him and rejected the charges against him. All India Congress Committee spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Mr Tharoor had been "hounded and persecuted" by the Delhi Police in connivance with the BJP leaders.  He also said the media was holding a trial. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president MM Hassan and opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala also protested the "politically-motivated" move to seek revenge against him for his stinging attacks on the ruling party.