Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has landed in political hot water for publicly praising the Indian government’s handling of the recent India-Pakistan conflict and critiquing US President Donald Trump’s mediation claims—stances that have sharply diverged from the Congress party’s official line.
According to sources, Tharoor’s remarks—particularly his description of India’s Operation Sindoor as “calibrated” and “very, very calculated”—caused significant internal dissent during a closed-door Congress meeting. The session was convened to formulate the party’s response to Trump’s assertion that his administration brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, a claim the Congress had been using to target the ruling BJP for compromising India’s strategic autonomy.
Party insiders revealed that senior leader Jairam Ramesh confronted Tharoor directly, asking why he had strayed from the party script. “There’s enough democracy in the Congress, but this time Tharoor crossed the Lakshman rekha,” one leader said, reflecting a sentiment that while debate is encouraged, Tharoor’s remarks had undermined the party’s coordinated messaging.
Tharoor, however, reportedly defended his statements, emphasizing their consistency with India’s diplomatic interests and referring to the upcoming Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs meeting on May 19, where Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is expected to testify.
Tensions escalated when Tharoor left the meeting midway to catch a flight to his constituency, Thiruvananthapuram, which some viewed as symbolic of his unwillingness to toe the party line. In the aftermath, the Congress leadership issued a clear directive that this was not a time for “individual interpretations,” but for reinforcing the collective stand.
At a press conference later, Congress publicly distanced itself from Tharoor’s statements. “What Shashi Tharoor says is his personal opinion. He speaks for himself and not for the Congress party,” said Jairam Ramesh, reaffirming the party’s discomfort with his independent stance.
What Did Tharoor Say?
On Monday, Tharoor took direct aim at Trump’s claim of de-escalating the Indo-Pak conflict, calling it “disappointing” and dangerous. He argued that Trump’s framing:
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Internationalises the Kashmir issue, a red line in India’s foreign policy.
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“Re-hyphenates” India and Pakistan—treating them as a single regional flashpoint, which India opposes.
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Offers legitimacy to Pakistan by suggesting it deserves a seat at the negotiating table, despite its continued support for cross-border terrorism.
“India will never negotiate with a terrorist gun pointed at its head,” Tharoor said bluntly, rejecting any U.S.-brokered mediation framework. He also warned that Trump’s use of the term “ceasefire” was misleading, as India had never acknowledged a formal ceasefire, only a mutual understanding to pause firing—while still continuing with Operation Sindoor.
This controversy has once again highlighted the friction within the Congress party between traditionalists focused on party discipline and members like Tharoor, who often adopt independent, internationally attuned positions—sometimes at odds with the party’s domestic political strategy.
