The usually united front of the Indian National Congress showed visible cracks this week as senior leader Shashi Tharoor found himself at the center of a party storm over comments regarding India’s military actions against Pakistan. The controversy erupted during Tharoor’s diplomatic mission but quickly spiraled into a public disagreement requiring intervention from party leadership.
The Spark: Shashi Tharoor’s Panama Comments
Shashi Tharoor, currently leading an all-party delegation abroad to highlight India’s stance on terrorism and Operation Sindoor (referring to post-Pulwama actions), spoke in Panama about a shift in India’s counter-terrorism strategy. He stated that terrorists now realize they “will have to pay a price,” pointing specifically to the 2016 surgical strike after the Uri attack and the 2019 Balakot airstrike post-Pulwama.
“The terrorists have also realised they will have a price to pay; on that, let there be no doubt,” Shashi Tharoor said. He emphasized a change: “When, for the first time, India breached the Line of Control… to conduct a surgical strike… That was already something we had not done before. Even during the Kargil War, we had not crossed the Line of Control.”
The Backlash: Congress Leaders Cry Foul
Shashi Tharoor’s phrasing – particularly “for the first time” – triggered immediate pushback within his own party. Senior Congress figures, including media head Pawan Khera and leader Udit Raj, strongly objected, arguing Tharoor ignored similar actions authorized during the previous Congress-led UPA government (2004-2014).
Udit Raj called Tharoor’s omission a “lie and a conspiracy to destroy the Congress,” even suggesting he sounded like a “super spokesperson of the BJP.” Raj asserted the Congress had taken “required measures in the past” but never publicized them for political gain. Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary, amplified Raj’s criticism by reposting it.
Khera took a different tack, sharing a screenshot from Shashi Tharoor’s book, “The Paradoxical Prime Minister” (2018). In it, Tharoor himself had criticized the Modi government for exploiting the 2016 strikes politically, contrasting it with Congress’s past discretion: “The shameless exploitation of the 2016 ‘surgical strikes’… as a party election tool–something the Congress had never done despite having authorized several such strikes earlier…”
Damage Control: Surjewala Steps In
Amid escalating tensions, Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala addressed the media to defuse the situation. While firmly calling Shashi Tharoor “a senior Congress leader and very much part of the Congress family,” Surjewala stated Tharoor’s Panama remarks were “factually incorrect.”
Surjewala contended that “surgical strikes against Pakistan and other dens of terrorists was a regular feature even during the UPA term.” He cited past communications (from when he headed the department), statements by former PM Manmohan Singh, and even Tharoor’s own book as evidence. “Congress party only corrected (him) by pointing out… It is not a matter of acrimony and doubt,” Surjewala insisted, downplaying internal strife.
Tharoor’s Defense: Clarifying the Context
Facing the internal firestorm, an evidently frustrated Shashi Tharoor took to social media late at night from Panama. He clarified his remarks were specifically about “reprisals for terrorist attacks,” not historical wars like Kargil.
He explained his Panama comments were preceded by “a reference to the several attacks that have taken place in recent years alone,” implying that past responses under Congress rule were “restrained and constrained by our responsible respect for the LoC and the IB.” He dismissed his critics as “zealots” misunderstanding his nuanced point about the nature and public posture of recent responses.
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Who is Shashi Tharoor?
Beyond this controversy, Shashi Tharoor remains one of India’s most recognizable politicians and intellectuals. Here’s a quick glance:
- Shashi Tharoor Age: Born March 9, 1956 (68 years old).
- Shashi Tharoor Wife: He is currently married to Sunanda Pushkar (deceased 2014). He has been married twice before.
- Shashi Tharoor Books: A prolific author, his works include fiction (“The Great Indian Novel,” “Show Business”) and non-fiction (“An Era of Darkness,” “The Paradoxical Prime Minister,” “Why I Am a Hindu”).
- Shashi Tharoor Blog/Social Media: He is highly active and influential online, particularly on Twitter (X), where his eloquent Shashi Tharoor speech-like posts often go viral.
- Shashi Tharoor Post: He has held significant positions, including Union Minister of State for External Affairs and UN Under-Secretary-General. He is currently a third-term Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
The Takeaway
While Surjewala attempted to project unity, the public disagreement between Shashi Tharoor and sections of the Congress leadership highlights the party’s ongoing struggle to frame national security narratives, particularly concerning actions under previous Congress regimes versus the current BJP government. Tharoor’s clarification focused on the context of reprisals, but the episode underscores the sensitivity surrounding claims of historical precedent in India’s military actions against Pakistan. The debate continues, even as Tharoor’s delegation moves forward with its diplomatic mission.
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