"First Loyalty?": Shashi Tharoor's Big Remark Amid Rift With Congress
Amid his tussle with the Congress leadership over the public remarks in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, senior party leader and MP Shashi Tharoor has dug his heels in and said that while "a lot of people have been critical" of him, he will stand his ground "because I believe this is the right thing for the country".
The Thiruvananthapuram MP was at an event in Kochi when a high school student asked him a question linked to the unease in his relationship with his party. "While I have been steering clear of such political discussions in public, I felt a student deserved a response," Mr Tharoor posted on X, sharing a video of his remarks.
"Politics is, unfortunately or otherwise, in any democracy, it's about competition. And as a result, when people like me say that we respect our parties, we have certain values and convictions that keep us in our parties, but we need to cooperate with other parties in the interest of national security -- the question you asked -- sometimes the parties feel that is disloyal to them. And that becomes a big problem," the Congress leader said, referring to his party leaders' remarks targeting him.
"Which is your first loyalty? To my mind, the nation comes first. Parties are a means of making the nation better. So to my mind, whichever party you belong to, the objective of that party is to create a better India in its own way," he said.
Parties, he said, have every right to disagree about the best way of doing that, the best way of making a better India. "Some of us may say, let's say, more capitalism. Some may say more socialism. Some may be in favour of certain kinds of regulatory controls. Some may be against too much regulation. So you have different points of view. That's fine. But ultimately, we must all be committed to a better India, a safer India, an India whose borders are protected, whose territory is safe, whose people's well-being can be nurtured. And that is my commitment," Mr Tharoor said.
"And if we hold that ideal up, that kind of spirit should cross all parties, not just bipartisan but multi-partisan. You asked about Parliament. In our Parliament today, there are 46 political parties. There must be some issues in which they all unite. That's certainly my passionate conviction. But it's not easy," he added.
Mr Tharoor has been articulating New Delhi's position to national and international media in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and India's counterstrike, Operation Sindoor. His sharp remarks endeared him even to critics, who praised him for setting aside party differences in an hour of crisis. The Congress, which assured full support to the Centre in its action against those behind the Pahalgam terror attack, later changed tack and asked the government to come clean on what led to the ceasefire and questioned what role the US played in it. Against this backdrop, Mr Tharoor's remarks backing the government did not sit well with his party colleagues. The Narendra Modi government's choice of the former diplomat to lead an Indian delegation as part of the global outreach after Operation Sindoor widened the rift.
"As you know, if you're following the news, a lot of people have been very critical of me because of the stand I have taken supporting our armed forces and our government and what happened recently in our country and on our borders. But I will stand my ground because I believe this is the right thing for the country. And when I speak of India, I speak for all Indians, not just those who may like my party," he said. And I believe that that's something that should apply to other parties too. I am not only saying this to my party. I am saying it to all parties. Put your differences aside when the nation is imperiled."
Mr Tharoor then quoted India's first Prime Minister and Congress ideologue Jawaharlal Nehru -- a subtle swipe at the Grand Old Party. "There's a very famous line of Nehru's which I am very fond of quoting. Who lives if India dies? And that's a question to which there is no answer. India must come first. Then only can we all live," he said.
Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had made his displeasure clear over Mr Tharoor's remarks and said that for the Congress, it is "country first", "but for some people, it's Modi first". This came after Mr Tharoor praised the Prime Minister for his handling of Operation Sindoor, India's counterstrike after the Pahalgam attack.
Mr Tharoor had responded with a post on X. "Don't ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one," read the post with a bird's photograph.
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