New Delhi, May 28, 2025: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come to the defense of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor following criticism from his own party, particularly from Congress leader Udit Raj. The controversy stems from Tharoor’s recent statement made during an event in Panama, where he asserted that India had crossed the Line of Control (LoC) for the first time during the 2016 surgical strikes in Uri.
Udit Raj took to social media platform X to express his disapproval, labeling Tharoor as a “BJP super spokesperson” and accusing him of diminishing the Congress party’s historical military achievements. Raj highlighted past instances, such as the 1965 and 1971 wars, where Indian forces had crossed the LoC, suggesting that Tharoor’s remarks overlooked these significant events.
In response, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla criticized the Congress party’s internal discord, suggesting that Tharoor was being targeted for prioritizing national interest over party allegiance. Poonawalla stated, “Shashi Tharoor is being attacked at the behest of Rahul Gandhi because he kept India first, not the Gandhi family. He talked about national interest, not his party’s interest.” He further accused the Congress of being more inclined to criticize its own members than to confront Pakistan, drawing parallels to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in their approach.
Tharoor’s comments were made in the context of a multi-party delegation sent by the Indian government to various countries to articulate India’s stance on terrorism and to highlight Pakistan’s alleged support for terrorist activities, especially in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
The incident underscores ongoing tensions within the Congress party and highlights the BJP’s efforts to position itself as a defender of national interest, even when it involves supporting members of opposition parties.
