New Delhi: Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar has responded to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s recent appreciation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Covid-19 vaccine diplomacy, stating that Congress leaders have “recently got enlightened”. 

Speaking to IANS, Chandrasekhar remarked, "Shashi Tharoor and several other Congress leaders have recently had a change of mind. Recently, they acknowledged that India's diplomacy in the Russia-Ukraine conflict was appropriate. If you ask anyone around the world, they will agree that India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi provided commendable assistance to small nations during the crisis. "

"Congress leaders were in denial, saying it was not the right approach. But today, even Congress leaders have started accepting it. I would like to thank them and say that better late than never," he added.

Chandrasekhar’s remarks follow Tharoor’s recent recognition of the Centre’s ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative, launched during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Writing in an article for The Week, Tharoor described India’s vaccine diplomacy as one of the country's most significant accomplishments during the crisis.

"India's vaccine diplomacy during the Covid pandemic stands out from amid the horrors of that time as a powerful example of international leadership rooted in responsibility and solidarity," Tharoor wrote.

The Congress MP, who previously served as Minister of State for External Affairs in the UPA government, also highlighted that the initiative “embodied and contributed to the very spirit of its soft power".

Earlier in March, Tharoor had also praised PM Modi’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, stressing the importance of diplomatic resolution. 

He noted that PM Modi has consistently advocated for diplomacy, referring to his statements in Samarkand where he said, "This is not an era of war, and solutions can be found peacefully."

IANS