Congress Rift Widens: Shashi Tharoor Defends Remarks on Operation Sindoor, Hits Out at Party Critics

New Delhi, May 29, 2025: Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has lashed out at critics within his own party, accusing them of “distorting” his remarks regarding India’s cross-border reprisals under Operation Sindoor. The backlash came after Tharoor, part of an all-party international delegation, praised India’s recent military response to terror attacks a move interpreted by some Congress leaders as endorsement of the BJP-led government.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) late Thursday night from Panama, Tharoor clarified that his comments focused solely on India’s response to terrorism and not on previous wars. “I was clearly and explicitly speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars,” Tharoor wrote. He stated that he had referenced recent attacks and stressed that earlier Indian responses were “restrained and constrained by our responsible respect for the LoC and the IB.”

Tharoor, visibly irked by the backlash, welcomed the trolling with sarcasm, writing, “But as usual, critics and trolls are welcome to distort my views and words as they see fit. I genuinely have better things to do.”

The controversy stems from Tharoor’s recent comment during the global outreach visit that India had crossed the Line of Control (LoC) for the first time in September 2015 under the current Modi government. Congress leaders, including Udit Raj, Pawan Khera, and Jairam Ramesh, sharply criticised Tharoor, alleging he undermined the party’s historic contributions to national security.

Udit Raj, in particular, accused Tharoor of glorifying what he called “Modi’s fake surgical strikes” and “maligning Congress history.” Speaking to reporters, Raj remarked, “If he makes incorrect statements and tries to erase Congress’s history, I stand firmly with the party. I am ready to sacrifice myself.”

He added, “The credit that the Army deserves should go only to the Army. Defending and brushing aside security lapses is a crime.” Udit Raj also suggested that Tharoor should face disciplinary action, though he left the final decision to the party’s high command, including Rahul Gandhi and the Congress Working Committee.

The internal discord signals a deeper rift within the party, especially as Tharoor was not among the names officially proposed by the Congress to represent it in international delegations. Yet, he was selected by the Centre to be part of the all-party outreach visiting the United States, Panama, Guyana, and other nations to communicate India’s position on terrorism and global cooperation.

The episode has once again spotlighted the tensions between Tharoor’s independent political style and the Congress party’s internal discipline, with critics claiming he is aligning too closely with BJP-led narratives on national security.