Congress head Mallikarjun Kharge slams Shashi Tharoor over his appreciation for PM Modi

New Delhi (India) June 26: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has subtly criticised Shashi Tharoor, a senior party leader for his frequent appreciation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The comments were made when party tensions increased as a result of Tharoor's prominent participation in the all-party delegation for Operation Sindoor.

He said, “I said in Gulbarga that we spoke in one voice that we stood together for the country. We stood together in Operation Sindoor. We said that country comes first, but some people say that Modi comes first, country comes later. So, what should we do?”

He also added, “Shashi Tharoor’s language is very good. That is why he has been kept in the Congress Working Committee.”

After party president Mallikarjun Kharge's press conference statements, Shashi Tharoor shared a cryptic post on social media platform X. The post said, “Don't ask permission to fly. The wings are yours and the sky belongs to no one.”

Congress members have criticised Tharoor for praising PM Modi after a diplomatic outreach to five countries under Operation Sindoor, which aims to challenge Pakistan's international image. Tharoor recently praised the Prime Minister's global status in an editorial. Tharoor has written "Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remains a prime asset for India on the global stage, but deserves greater backing.” 

Many leaders in the Congress party were offended by the comments, mainly since Tharoor had previously praised the Modi government's strategy while disregarding the surgical strikes that occurred during the UPA.

Tharoor responded to criticism by claiming that his involvement in Operation Sindoor was in the best interests of the country and denied any change of loyalty. He clarified that the mission was about togetherness rather than political lines and denied claims of support for the BJP.

In response to the criticism from within the party and the backlash on social media, Tharoor responded, "I have better things to do," against those who opposed him who he claimed had twisted his words.

Tharoor made his most recent remarks after admitting that he disagreed with the Congress high command. He also made an effort to reduce any significant division by stating that his connections with the party leadership were still strong.

Aadrika Tayal