Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s recent remarks praising India’s cross-border counter-terrorism strikes sparked intense criticism within his own party, leading to a public war of words. Shashi Tharoor clarified his statements, saying they were misunderstood and misrepresented by party zealots, but the controversy highlights deep divisions in Congress over how to frame India’s military actions and political narratives.
Shashi Tharoor’s Remarks and Clarification
While speaking at an international forum in Panama, Shashi Tharoor described India’s 2016 Uri surgical strike as a historic first in breaching the Line of Control (LoC) to target terror bases. He emphasized that prior to this operation, India had maintained restraint and respected the LoC and International Border in its military responses, even during the Kargil War. Shashi Tharoor’s comments suggested that India’s approach to terrorism changed significantly under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
Following a strong backlash from Congress colleagues, Shashi Tharoor took to social media to clarify that he was only referring to recent retaliatory strikes against terrorist attacks and not dismissing India’s previous wars or military history. He accused “zealots” within the party of twisting his words to attack his patriotism and loyalty.
Congress’s Fierce Response and Internal Conflict
Shashi Tharoor’s statements provoked sharp criticism from senior Congress leader Udit Raj, who accused him of undermining the party’s legacy and praised Modi’s government instead. Raj sarcastically called Shashi Tharoor the “super spokesperson” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and challenged his account of India’s military history, citing the 1965 and 1971 wars and surgical strikes conducted during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. He argued that Congress had carried out such operations without politicizing them.
The controversy intensified when Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared Raj’s criticism, fueling the intra-party dispute. Raj also questioned Shashi Tharoor’s loyalty and suggested that party leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, should consider disciplinary action against him for allegedly rewriting Congress’s military history.
The episode exposes fault lines within Congress on how to publicly address national security issues amid a political environment where the BJP aggressively claims credit for military operations. Shashi Tharoor, meanwhile, continues his official diplomatic engagements as part of a multi-nation parliamentary delegation.
