Is Shashi Tharoor Joining BJP? How His Cozying Up With Centre Making Congress Uncomfortable
India
oi-Prakash KL
Senior
Congress
leader
Shashi
Tharoor’s
growing
proximity
to
the
BJP-led
central
government
has
left
many
questioning
whether
the
Thiruvananthapuram
MP
is
subtly
realigning
his
political
loyalties.
Tharoor
To
Lead
Multi
Party
Delegation
The
latest
flashpoint
emerged
after
the
Centre
appointed
Tharoor
to
lead
a
multi-party
delegation
abroad
to
explain
India’s
stance
on
Operation
Sindoor,
the
recent
anti-terror
strikes
across
the
border.
While
the
Congress
had
suggested
names
like
Anand
Sharma,
Gaurav
Gogoi,
and
Amarinder
Singh
Raja
Warring
for
the
delegation,
Tharoor’s
inclusion-without
the
party’s
official
backing-has
raised
eyebrows.
BJP’s
IT
cell
chief
Amit
Malviya
swiftly
capitalized
on
the
rift,
questioning
the
Congress’s
reluctance
to
nominate
Tharoor.
“No
one
can
deny
Shashi
Tharoor’s
eloquence,
his
UN
experience,
and
his
foreign
policy
expertise.
So
why
did
the
Congress-especially
Rahul
Gandhi-ignore
him?
Insecurity?
Jealousy?
Or
intolerance
of
anyone
who
outshines
the
‘high
command’?” Malviya
wrote
on
social
media.
Former
Karnataka
CM
and
BJP
MP
Jagadish
Shettar
said,
“We
need
to
look
at
some
Congress
leaders
and
the
statements
they
are
making.
They
should
learn
from
leaders
like
Shashi
Tharoor,
Manish
Tewari
and
Chidambaram,
who
have
given
balanced
and
mature
statements
in
the
interest
of
the
country.
We
must
consider
the
circumstances
and
prioritize
the
nation’s
interest
over
individual
or
party
interests.
Regardless
of
party
affiliations,
it
is
commendable
that
Shashi
Tharoor,
Manish
Tewari
and
Chidambaram
have
supported
the
Government
of
India’s
stance
on
the
attack
against
Pakistan
and
terrorism…”
Tharoor
has
repeatedly
found
himself
at
odds
with
his
party’s
official
line.
His
vocal
praise
for
Operation
Sindoor-where
he
called
the
strikes
“strong,
well-planned” and
in
line
with
his
own
earlier
suggestions-was
seen
as
undermining
the
Congress’s
cautious
stance
on
national
security.
“India
wanted
to
teach
terrorists
a
lesson,
and
I
believe
that
lesson
has
been
taught,”
he
had
said,
drawing
sharp
reactions
from
within.
Adding
to
the
discomfort
was
his
presence
alongside
PM
Narendra
Modi
at
the
Vizhinjam
Port
inauguration
in
Kerala,
despite
the
Congress
officially
boycotting
the
event.
Speaking
at
the
event,
PM
Modi
said,
“Today,
Shashi
Tharoor
is
sitting
here.
Today’s
program
will
disturb
the
sleep
of
some
people.
The
message
has
gone
wherever
it
had
to
go.”
Tharoor’s
frequent
commendations
of
Modi’s
foreign
policy
have
further
strained
his
relationship
with
the
party
leadership,
particularly
Rahul
Gandhi.
Tharoor’s
Defence:
‘Speaking
as
an
Indian’
Facing
internal
criticism,
Tharoor
clarified
that
his
statements
were
“personal” and
not
representative
of
the
Congress.
“I
spoke
as
an
Indian,
not
as
a
party
spokesperson.
At
a
time
of
conflict,
it
was
important
to
rally
around
the
flag,”
he
told
reporters.
He
also
emphasized
that
he
had
received
no
official
reprimand
from
the
party.
However,
Congress
insiders
suggest
that
his
remarks
during
a
closed-door
meeting-where
he
described
the
strikes
as
“calibrated
and
calculated”-crossed
a
line.
A
senior
leader
anonymously
told
India
Today,
“Tharoor
has
crossed
the
Lakshman
Rekha
this
time.”
What
Next?
Tharoor’s
enthusiastic
acceptance
of
the
Centre’s
delegation
role-expressed
in
an
“Jai
Hind!”-laden
post
on
X-has
only
fueled
speculation.
While
he
remains
a
Congress
MP,
his
repeated
alignment
with
the
BJP’s
narrative
has
left
many
wondering
if
a
formal
shift
is
imminent.
For
now,
the
Congress
faces
an
awkward
dilemma:
rein
in
a
high-profile
dissenter
or
risk
losing
him
to
the
other
side.
