A major rift has surfaced in the Congress party following senior leader Shashi Tharoor’s public praise of the PM Modi government’s ‘Operation Sindoor’—a swift military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
Tharoor’s remarks, perceived as a veiled criticism of previous UPA regimes for not undertaking similar action, have triggered sharp retaliation from fellow Congress leader Udit Raj.
The controversy escalated after Tharoor, MP from Thiruvananthapuram, lauded the government’s strong stance on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, suggesting that such direct reprisals were lacking in earlier administrations.
Udit Raj hit back, branding Tharoor the ‘super spokesperson of BJP’ and accusing him of deviating from the party’s line and belittling its national security record.
My dear @ShashiTharoor
Alas ! I could prevail upon PM Modi to declare you as super spokesperson of BJP , even declaring as foreign minister before landing in India . How could you denigrate the golden history of Congress by saying that before PM Modi , India never crossed LOC… https://t.co/c88b8rX2bq— Dr. Udit Raj (@Dr_Uditraj) May 28, 2025
War Of Words Intensifies
Tharoor defended his stance, dismissing criticism as ‘distorted and twisted’ and implying that some within the party were fuelling a false narrative.
“As usual, critics and trolls are welcome to distort my views. I genuinely have better things to do,” he posted on X from abroad, where he is engaged in India’s diplomatic campaign against terrorism.
Clarifying his position, Tharoor stated, “I was clearly and explicitly speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks, not about previous wars.”
However, this did little to placate Udit Raj, who continued his offensive, demanding an apology from Tharoor for allegedly downplaying Congress’s role in defending national sovereignty.
Udit Raj declared that they do not object to Tharoor’s Modi-bhakti, but warned that if he tries to whitewash the Congress party’s historical contributions, they will respond fittingly.
The issue intensified on Wednesday night when Congress’s Media and Publicity Chairman, Pawan Khera, publicly endorsed Udit Raj’s ‘BJP super spokesperson’ label for Tharoor.
The statement highlighted that many within the party share growing unease over Tharoor’s repeated praise for the Modi government.
Udit Raj further warned that Tharoor’s command over English would not shield him from accountability.
“He can’t get away by using jargon. He must admit his mistake,” he asserted, even hinting at potential disciplinary action.
As Tharoor continues his diplomatic tour, reiterating India’s stand on cross-border terrorism, the internal feud has exposed deeper ideological fissures in the Congress ranks.
With Operation Sindoor placing the spotlight on India’s strategic posture, the infighting signals a crisis of consensus within the opposition on how to respond to national security achievements.
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