BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala launched a sharp attack on the Congress after the party publicly distanced itself from MP Shashi Tharoor’s praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent address at the Ramnath Goenka Memorial Lecture. Poonawala accused the Congress of displaying chronic intolerance toward any of its leaders who express appreciation for Modi or acknowledge ideas that do not strictly align with the party’s established line. He also revived an old controversy, claiming that the Congress had once issued a “fatwa” against Tharoor when he praised BJP veteran LK Advani and wrote critically about dynastic politics.
Poonawala escalated the rhetoric by referring to the Congress as the “Indira Nazi Congress,” alleging that the party cannot tolerate independent thinking or any form of acknowledgment of Modi’s leadership. According to him, Congress repeatedly attacks Tharoor because he occasionally takes positions that reflect “national interest” rather than the interests of one political family. He pointed out that Tharoor faced backlash earlier for merely wishing LK Advani on his birthday and for writing an article that critiqued hereditary politics within parties.
The BJP’s attack was triggered by Congress leader Supriya Shrinate, who dismissed Tharoor’s praise and said she found “nothing worth appreciating” in Modi’s speech. Shrinate described the Prime Minister’s address as “petty” and questioned what exactly Tharoor found commendable. The Congress, already uncomfortable with its MPs’ recent expressions of admiration toward political rivals, quickly distanced itself from his remarks.
Tharoor had posted on X that he found Modi’s speech to be “an economic outlook and a cultural call to action,” adding that he was glad to have attended the event despite being unwell. He highlighted the Prime Minister’s emotional tone and the emphasis on dismantling what Modi described as Thomas Macaulay’s centuries-old “slave mentality.” Tharoor also drew attention to Modi’s proposal for a ten-year national mission to revive pride in Indian heritage, culture, languages, and traditional knowledge systems. These comments were enough to trigger fresh internal discomfort within the Congress.
Shrinate openly questioned Tharoor’s assessment, which prompted Poonawala to intensify the BJP’s criticism of the Congress’s internal functioning and its attitude toward dissenting voices. The BJP spokesperson insisted that the Congress has repeatedly targeted Tharoor whenever he expressed views that deviate from the party’s dominant narrative.
Tharoor’s position within the Congress has long been under scrutiny. He was one of the G-23 leaders who demanded organisational reform and more inclusive decision-making. He later contested the Congress presidential election against Mallikarjun Kharge, who was supported by the Gandhi family, but lost. His occasional praise of political opponents — whether Advani in the past or Modi now — has repeatedly put the Congress leadership in a defensive posture.
This latest row comes amid renewed speculation about a widening rift between Tharoor and sections of the Congress. Although the party has not taken disciplinary action or issued a formal warning, several of its leaders frequently criticise him for statements that appear too aligned with the BJP’s ideological positioning. The BJP, meanwhile, continues to exploit these moments to attack the Congress for what it describes as rigidity and intolerance toward internal diversity of thought.
