Tharoor calls on PM

New Delhi, Apr 18 (ANI): Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor called on the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh this morning ahead of the Congress Core Committee Meeting today.

Tharoor reached Dr Singh's official residence to reportedly put across his point of view before a final call with regard to his future in the Cabinet is taken.

Dr Singh is likely to meet with the Congress top brass at around 6: 30 p.m. at his official residence.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister A K Antony and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram are expected to attend the meeting.

Sources said the Congress High Command is unconvinced with Tharoor's defence with regard to his role in the controversial Kochi IPL franchise and may take a final decision before the Parliament reconvenes on Monday.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani on Saturday demanded Tharoor's sacking and lashed out at the government for using its might to save the 'tainted' minister.

Advani said Tharoor was not fit to be a minister.

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh too demanded Tharoor's dismissal in the wake of the IPL row.

The Communist Party of India (CPI) also made a similar demand.

"Tharoor's behaviour is unbecoming of a minister and out of tune with Indian politics," said CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta.

The BJP had earlier demanded a CBI probe into Tharoor's role.

It said Tharoor's link with the IPL team Kochi was a patent abuse authority by a minister.

Tharoor is reportedly in trouble after IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi tweeted to reveal that Sunanda Pushkar, a close associate of Tharoor, had been gifted sweat equity worth Rs 70 crores in the new Kochi team, which was sold for Rs 1530 crores last month.

Modi in his email to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Shashank Manohar had stated it was Tharoor who called him and instructed him not to reveal the identities of the stakeholders of the Kochi IPL franchisee.

Tharoor, however, has denied this.

Tharoor said he had 'enough' of the controversy and denied securing any monetary interest in the Kochi IPL team. (ANI)