Never violated party line, unapologetic over Op Sindoor stand: Shashi Tharoor

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday (January 24) said he has always adhered to the party’s stated positions in Parliament, adding that the only time he publicly differed on principle was over Operation Sindoor.

Speaking during a session at the Kerala Literature Festival, Tharoor said he had taken a firm stand on the issue and remained “unapologetic” about it.

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His statement comes amid recent reports citing “Tharoor’s differences with the party leadership,” with speculation that he is upset over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi not adequately acknowledging his presence at a recent event in Kochi, as well as over alleged repeated attempts by state leaders to sideline him.

‘India must come first’

Explaining his position, Tharoor said that, as an observer and writer, he had written a newspaper column after the Pahalgam incident, stating that it should not go unpunished and that there should be a kinetic response.

He said that while India is focused on development, it should not be dragged into a prolonged conflict with Pakistan, and that any action should be limited to targeting terrorist camps.

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Tharoor said that to his surprise, the Indian government did exactly what he had recommended, and recalled it was Jawaharlal Nehru who posed the famous question: “Who lives if India dies?”

“When India is at stake, when India’s security and its place in the world are involved, India comes first,” he said. He added that political parties may have differences as part of the process of building a better India, but when national interests are involved, India must prevail.

Unease with leadership

His comments come against the backdrop of reported unease between Tharoor and the Congress leadership. Tharoor had on Friday “skipped” a meeting called by the Congress high command to discuss the party’s preparations for the Kerala Assembly elections, as sources said he felt “insulted” at a recent Mahapanchayat event in Kochi, which was also attended by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. They added that he is currently upset with both the state and central leadership of the Congress, a sentiment that contributed to his decision not to attend the meeting.

According to sources, Tharoor has conveyed his disappointment to close associates, saying the episode reflected a broader pattern of disregard for his contributions within the party.

Tharoor’s office had earlier told The Federal that he was in Kozhikode for the Kerala Literature Festival and was scheduled to speak on his latest book on Sree Narayana Guru, and that he had informed the party in advance that he would be unable to attend the meeting. Tharoor said he would convey whatever he had to say directly to the party leadership, adding that some media reports were correct while others were not, and that he would not air his views before the media.

Operation Sindoor fallout

Days after India launched Operation Sindoor last year, Tharoor led an Indian government delegation to the US, Panama, Guyana, Brazil and Colombia, drawing criticism from within the Congress for publicly defending the government’s position on the issue.

His inclusion in the delegation had itself triggered strong opposition within the party, as Tharoor, who chairs Parliament’s External Affairs Committee, was not among the four names initially forwarded by the Congress to the Centre.

Operation Sindoor refers to India’s limited military response following the Pahalgam terror attack, which targeted militant infrastructure across the Line of Control and drew both domestic and international attention for its calibrated scope.

(With agency inputs)