Not leaping to join BJP: Shashi Tharoor defends PM praise as Congress fumes

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said his article on Operation Sindoor's global outreach was not a sign of his "leaping to join" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party but a statement of national unity, interest and standing up for India.

Tharoor, in an article published in The Hindu on Monday, said Modi's energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remained a "prime asset" for India on the global stage but deserved greater backing.

His remarks were seen as likely to irk his Congress party and widen cracks in his ties with its leadership.

Asked about the article at an event here, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said: "It is not a sign of my leaping to join the prime minister's party (the BJP) as some people unfortunately have been implying. It is a statement of national unity, of national interest and of standing up for India, which to my mind is fundamentally why I came back to India after 25 years of service at the UN."

"I did so to serve India, and I am very proud to have the opportunity to do so," Tharoor added.

Tharoor said the article was written about 'Operation Sindoor' in which he described the success of the diplomatic outreach mission.

"People always tend to see all this in the context of today's news. It is an article in which I describe the success of this outreach mission, which, amongst other things, showcased the unity of all parties behind the matter of vital national interest," Tharoor said.

"So, I said the prime minister himself has demonstrated dynamism and energy in engaging with other countries. He has travelled to more countries than any prime minister, and done so in order to take the message of India around the world," the Congress leader said.

"And to my mind, what we all did was give his efforts that back up by bringing to bear the strength of all of India's different political parties, backgrounds, groups, religions, and convey to the world that message that a united India stands for. Today it is a message against terrorism, tomorrow it could be a message on something else, but that backing up, I believe, is very important," he said.

Tharoor recalled the expression used by Americans that political differences should stop at the water's edge to buttress his argument.

"I, too, have believed for the longest time that political differences in our democracy should stop at the borders. For us, it seems to me there is really no such thing as a BJP foreign policy or a Congress foreign policy, there is only Indian foreign policy and Indian national interest."

"I am not saying something new, I said this very many years ago, and I said this publicly, on the record, the very first time when I became the chairman of the External Affairs committee back in 2014," Tharoor said.

In the article, Tharoor said the diplomatic outreach following "Operation Sindoor" was a moment of national resolve and effective communication.

The Prime Minister's Office shared Tharoor's article on X.

Tharoor in his article said: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remains a prime asset for India on the global stage but deserves greater backing."

"The diplomatic outreach following 'Operation Sindoor' was a moment of national resolve and effective communication. It affirmed that India, when united, can project its voice with clarity and conviction on international platforms," said the Congress leader, who led a multi-party delegation to the US and four other countries to convey India's stand following the Pahalgam terror attack and the military operation.

Tharoor's praise for the prime minister comes at a time when the Congress has been consistently attacking the Modi government over its foreign policy, alleging that Indian diplomacy is being "shattered" and the country stands "isolated" globally.

Following the Pahalgam attack, Tharoor has been making comments on the India-Pakistan conflict and the diplomatic outreach that are at variance with the stand of the Congress.

The Congress has been questioning the government over US President Donald Trump's claims of mediating a ceasefire between the two countries.

He has often drawn criticism from his party and jibes aimed at him by Congress leaders for his stand.

The delegation, led by Tharoor, visited the US on the last leg of a multi-nation tour to brief key interlocutors about Operation Sindoor, launched by India following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.

The delegation was one of the seven multi-party delegations India had tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community to emphasise Pakistan's links to terrorism.

Last week, while speaking in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor said he has differences of opinion with some in the party leadership, but is not going to speak about them in light of the byelection in Kerala's Nilambur constituency.

He said the Congress, its values and its workers are very dear to him.

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