The Congress party on Sunday formally distanced itself from Shashi Tharoor’s remarks defending BJP veteran LK Advani, clarifying that his comments were made in a personal capacity and did not reflect the party’s official position. The statement came after Tharoor praised Advani’s long public career and described him as a “true statesman,” drawing sharp reactions both within and outside the Congress.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera issued a pointed clarification, saying, “Like always, Dr Shashi Tharoor speaks for himself, and the Indian National Congress outrightly dissociates itself from his most recent statement.” He, however, added that Tharoor’s freedom to express himself reflected “the essential democratic and liberal spirit unique to the Congress.”
The controversy began when Tharoor, in a post on X, lauded Advani on his 98th birthday, describing him as a figure of “modesty, decency, and unwavering commitment to public service.” Tharoor wrote that it was unfair to judge Advani’s entire political career solely on the 1990 Rath Yatra, which is widely seen as a precursor to the Babri Masjid demolition two years later.
“Reducing his long years of service to one episode, however significant, is unfair. Just as Nehruji’s career cannot be defined solely by the China setback, nor Indira Gandhi’s only by the Emergency, the same fairness should be shown to Advaniji,” Tharoor posted.
His comments triggered backlash, with critics accusing him of whitewashing the communal polarisation linked to the Rath Yatra. Supreme Court advocate Sanjay Hegde rebuked Tharoor’s assessment, writing, “Unleashing the dragon seeds of hatred in this country is NOT public service.” Hegde argued that Advani’s Rath Yatra was not a passing episode but “a long march to reverse the foundational principles of the Indian Republic.”
The Rath Yatra of 1990, launched from Somnath and halted in Bihar by then Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, is considered one of the most consequential political campaigns in post-independence India. It mobilised the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, eventually culminating in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992 — an event that reshaped Indian politics and communal relations.
While Tharoor stood by his remarks, the Congress leadership moved swiftly to contain any perception of ideological drift, reiterating that his comments were personal and did not represent the party line. The incident, however, has reignited familiar tensions between Tharoor and his party’s establishment.
This is not the first time Tharoor has found himself at odds with the Congress high command. The Thiruvananthapuram MP has repeatedly courted controversy for his independent positions on sensitive political issues, often diverging from the party’s official stance.
Earlier this year, his praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and participation in government-led initiatives drew criticism from within the Congress. Kerala Congress leader K. Muraleedharan publicly declared that Tharoor was “no longer one of us,” barring him from party events in Thiruvananthapuram until he “corrected his course.” Tharoor, however, defended his actions, saying, “My first loyalty is to the nation. Parties are a means of making the nation better.”
The rift widened when Tharoor accepted the Modi government’s invitation to lead an all-party delegation for Operation Sindoor, prompting subtle rebukes from senior party figures. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, without naming Tharoor, remarked that for the Congress, “it is country first, but for some people, it is Modi first.”
Tharoor also stirred debate last month with an op-ed in Project Syndicate, where he described India’s “dynastic political culture” as a serious threat to democracy. The piece, which implicitly referenced the Nehru-Gandhi family, argued that political leadership based on lineage rather than merit weakens governance. While acknowledging the family’s contributions to India’s freedom struggle, he said its dominance had “cemented the idea that political leadership can be a birthright.”
The article sparked unease within the Congress, with several leaders pushing back. Udit Raj argued that dynastic succession was common across professions, not just in politics, saying, “A doctor’s son becomes a doctor, a businessman’s child continues in business, and politics is no exception.”
Tharoor’s latest comments on Advani — particularly his comparison of the BJP patriarch with Nehru and Indira Gandhi — have once again exposed ideological fault lines within the Congress. His nuanced praise for a rival party stalwart comes at a time when the Congress is trying to consolidate opposition unity against the BJP ahead of key elections.
For now, the party has opted to downplay the episode, reiterating that Tharoor’s freedom to express his views does not translate to endorsement. But as has often been the case with him, his intellectual independence remains both his greatest asset and his most persistent source of friction within the Congress ranks.
