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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge defended Shashi Tharoor’s CWC membership, emphasizing unity and national interest, dismissing concerns about Tharoor’s personal views.
Several Congress leaders, including Pawan Khera and Udit Raj, have hit out at Tharoor after the Modi government picked him to lead one of the Operation Sindoor outreach teams.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday hinted that the party will not take any action against party MP Shashi Tharoor, who has been praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has become one of the leading faces of India’s diplomatic outreach following “Operation Sindoor”.
In a press conference at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi, Kharge took a veiled jibe at Tharoor, saying that for the party, the nation comes first — but some say ‘Modi first and nation second.’
“I don’t know how to read English; he has a very good command of English, which is why we made him a CWC member. The entire opposition said, ‘We are with our Army, our soldiers, and Operation Sindoor.’ For us, the nation comes first, but some say ‘Modi first and nation second’—so what can we do about that?”
When asked if the Congress will take any action against the Thiruvananthapuram MP, the party chief said, “People will write what they feel like, we don’t want to get involved in all that. We want unity for the nation, and we will keep fighting for the nation. There are nearly 34 CWC members and 30 special invitees, each with their views. What he is saying reflects his personal opinion. We are focused on saving the nation. If someone is concerned about something else, then you should ask him.”
Several Congress leaders, including Pawan Khera and Udit Raj, have hit out at Tharoor after the Modi government picked him to lead one of the Operation Sindoor outreach teams. The Kerala MP also took a stand on the India-Pakistan ceasefire after Operation Sindoor and US mediation, which was outside the Congress party line, inviting criticism from his party colleagues.
Earlier this week, Tharoor wrote an opinion piece in The Hindu titled “Lessons from Operation Sindoor’s global outreach”, where he praised PM Modi’s “energy and dynamism.”
“PM Modi’s energy, dynamism, and willingness to engage remain a prime asset for India on the global stage but deserve greater backing. 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 said in his piece.
However, Tharoor said his praise for PM Modi was “not a sign of” him leaping to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), contrary to multiple media reports.
Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter –twitter.com/saurabhkverma19
Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter –twitter.com/saurabhkverma19
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