Kharge Takes A Swipe At Tharoor After His Article Praises PM Modi; Tharoor Refutes Claims Of Joining BJP

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has been on the headlines since Operation Sindoor following his sudden changed stance towards the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre. In his recent article, Tharoor praises PM Modi's 'energy, dynamism and willingness to engage' and stated that it 'deserved greater backing' on global stage. This did not sit well with his party colleagues and thet distanced Congress from the remarks in the article.

Not just that, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday took a swipe at Tharoor when he said his party believes in "country first" mantra but for some it is "Modi first and country later".

Soon after Kharge's remarks, Tharoor put out a cryptic post on X in which there was an image of a bird with the caption -- "Don't ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one..."

This controversy further widened the cracks in his ties with the party leadership and confirming the speculations regarding the same.

Kharge's Swipe At Tharoor

Mallikarjun Kharge was asked about Tharoor's article on Operation Sindoor outreach in which he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to whichhe responded, "I can't read English well. His (Tharoor's) (English) language is very good, that's why we have made him a Congress Working Committee member."

"But I want to say that the people of the opposition together said they are with the Army that is fighting (during Operation Sindoor)... We (the Congress) said the country is paramount and we will work together (with the government). We said 'country first, party later'. Some people say 'Modi first, country later'. What can we do about that," he added.

On another question related to Tharoor's comments, Kharge said, "Whoever knows how to write, will write it, we do not want to think about that. Our target is to maintain unity in the country, to ensure the security of the country. We will keep fighting for the country, there is no need to pay attention to anyone's words."

Pressed further on the Thiruvananthapuram MP's comments, Kharge said Tharoor is speaking according to his will but "we do not want to keep harping on it as we are more concerned about how to save the country".

Also Read | Shashi Tharoor Responds To Congress Criticism Over Anti-Terror Delegation: ‘Can’t Dwell On It’

Tharoor's Article Praising PM Modi

Tharoor, in an article published in The Hindu on June 23, said Modi's energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remained a "prime asset" for India on the global stage but deserved greater backing.

Tharoor in his article continued to say, "The diplomatic outreach following 'Operation Sindoor' was a moment of national resolve and effective communication. It affirmed that India, when united, can project its voice with clarity and conviction on international platforms."

Tharoor's praise for the prime minister comes at a time when the Congress has been consistently attacking the Modi government over its foreign policy, alleging that Indian diplomacy is being "shattered" and the country stands "isolated" globally.

The Prime Minister's Office had shared Tharoor's article on X.

His remarks were seen as likely to irk his Congress party and widen cracks in his ties with its leadership.

Also Read | Tharoor Reminds America Of Osama After Trump Hosts Army Chief Asim Munir In White House

Tharoor Refuted Claims Of Joining BJP

Tharoor in his article stated that, Operation Sindoor's global outreach was not a sign of his "leaping to join" Prime Minister Modi's party but a statement of national unity, interest and standing up for India.

When asked to speak more about the article, the Thiruvananthapuram MP told the reporters, "It is not a sign of my leaping to join the prime minister's party (the BJP) as some people unfortunately have been implying. It is a statement of national unity, of national interest and of standing up for India, which to my mind is fundamentally why I came back to India after 25 years of service at the UN."

"I did so to serve India, and I am very proud to have the opportunity to do so," Tharoor added.

Tharoor said the article was written about 'Operation Sindoor' in which he described the success of the diplomatic outreach mission.

"People always tend to see all this in the context of today's news. It is an article in which I describe the success of this outreach mission, which, amongst other things, showcased the unity of all parties behind the matter of vital national interest," Tharoor said.

"So, I said the prime minister himself has demonstrated dynamism and energy in engaging with other countries. He has travelled to more countries than any prime minister, and done so in order to take the message of India around the world," the Congress leader said.

"And to my mind, what we all did was give his efforts that back up by bringing to bear the strength of all of India's different political parties, backgrounds, groups, religions, and convey to the world that message that a united India stands for. Today it is a message against terrorism, tomorrow it could be a message on something else, but that backing up, I believe, is very important," he added.

Tharoor recalled the expression used by Americans that political differences should stop at the water's edge to buttress his argument.

"I, too, have believed for the longest time that political differences in our democracy should stop at the borders. For us, it seems to me there is really no such thing as a BJP foreign policy or a Congress foreign policy, there is only Indian foreign policy and Indian national interest." "I am not saying something new, I said this very many years ago, and I said this publicly, on the record, the very first time when I became the chairman of the External Affairs committee back in 2014," Tharoor said.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack, Tharoor has been making comments on the India-Pakistan conflict and the diplomatic outreach that are at variance with the stand of the Congress.

The delegation, led by Tharoor, visited the US on the last leg of a multi-nation tour to brief key interlocutors about Operation Sindoor, launched by India following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.

The delegation was one of the seven multi-party delegations India had tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community to emphasise Pakistan's links to terrorism.

The Congress has been questioning the government over US President Donald Trump's claims of mediating a ceasefire between the two countries.

Tharoor has often drawn criticism from his party and jibes aimed at him by Congress leaders for his stand.

Last week, while speaking in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor said he has differences of opinion with some in the party leadership, but is not going to speak about them in light of the byelection in Kerala's Nilambur constituency.

He said the Congress, its values and its workers are very dear to him.