‘Never violated party line’: Shashi Tharoor responds to Congress fallout reports

Kozhikode: Speaking at the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode on Saturday, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor addressed reports of differences with the party leadership, asserting that he has consistently followed the Congress line in Parliament.

He said the only issue where he expressed a public disagreement in principle was Operation Sindoor, following the Pahalgam incident.

Tharoor explained that after the Pahalgam attack, he wrote a column in The Indian Express arguing that the incident should not go unpunished and that India should respond with a limited kinetic action targeting terrorist camps. He emphasised that while India’s primary focus remains development, the country should not be drawn into a prolonged conflict with Pakistan. According to Tharoor, the government eventually adopted a response similar to what he had suggested.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “I have at no stage violated any of the Congress’ positions in Parliament,” adding that “the only issue on which there has been public disagreement on principle is about Operation Sindoor, where I did take a very strong stand, and I remain unapologetic.” Referring to the Pahalgam incident, he said, “This cannot go unpunished; there has to be a kinetic response,” while clarifying that “India is focused on development” and “should not be dragged into a prolonged conflict with Pakistan,” stressing that “any action should be limited to targeting terrorist camps.” Emphasising national interest"

Stressing the importance of national interest, Tharoor said that when India’s security and global standing are at stake, the country must come first. Citing Jawaharlal Nehru’s words, he said, “Who lives if India dies?” and added that political differences are natural, but national interest should always prevail.

Responding to speculation about his relationship with the Congress leadership and reports suggesting dissatisfaction over his absence from recent party meetings in Delhi, Tharoor said there were both truths and falsehoods in media reporting. He clarified that he had informed the party in advance about his inability to attend the Delhi discussions and that any concerns he has would be communicated directly within the party, not in public forums. Shashi Tharoor said media reports contained “both truths and falsehoods,” explaining that he was only addressing certain aspects publicly and had already informed the party in advance about his absence from the Delhi meeting.

Tharoor also dismissed controversy surrounding his participation in literary events, explaining that he had postponed a book release at the Jaipur Literature Festival earlier due to political commitments and therefore chose to attend the Kozhikode event.

Meanwhile, Kerala Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan sought to downplay the issue, stating that there were no disagreements and that any differences would be settled amicably. He said Tharoor’s absence from the Delhi meeting should not be viewed as a sign of discord within the party.