New Delhi, May 29, 2025 — Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor faces internal party criticism after publicly lauding the Narendra Modi government’s military operations against Pakistan during a foreign outreach program. The controversy erupted after Tharoor, leading a multi-party delegation in Panama, credited the current administration with changing India’s counter-terrorism approach by conducting cross-border strikes "for the first time."
Tharoor’s Remarks in Panama
Addressing the Indian diaspora in Panama earlier this week,
Tharoor highlighted the 2016 surgical strikes following the Uri attack as a
strategic shift:
"For the first time, India breached the Line of Control
to conduct a surgical strike on a terror launch pad. That was something we had
not done before—even during the Kargil War."
He added that terrorists now "realise they will have a price to pay,"
implying a tougher stance under the current government.
Congress Counterclaims: "UPA Conducted Strikes
Too"
Tharoor’s comments drew swift backlash from Congress
colleagues, who accused him of overlooking similar operations during the United
Progressive Alliance (UPA) era (2004–2014). Party leaders emphasized that past
cross-border actions were deliberately kept confidential for strategic reasons,
not publicized for political gains.
- Pawan
Khera, Congress Media Department Chairman, tagged Tharoor in social
media posts citing a 2016 PTI report. The report quoted then-Foreign
Secretary S. Jaishankar acknowledging "target-specific,
limited-calibre counter-terrorist operations across the LoC in the
past." Jaishankar had clarified the 2016 strike was unique only
because the government publicized it.
- Khera
also shared a 1965 war image of Indian soldiers at a captured Pakistani
post in Burki, Lahore, to underscore historical precedents.
- Jairam
Ramesh, Congress Communications Head, reposted Khera’s messages,
amplifying the rebuttal.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s earlier interview
with Hindustan Times resurfaced in the debate:
"Multiple surgical strikes took place during our tenure
too. For us, military operations were meant for strategic deterrence, not vote
garnering."
"Super Spokesperson for BJP": Internal Rebuke
Congress leader Udit Raj, a former BJP MP, labeled Tharoor a
"super spokesperson" for the ruling party:
"Shashi Tharoor is speaking in favor of PM Modi where
even BJP leaders hesitate. He has become the spokesperson for BJP’s publicity
stunts."
Background: Tharoor’s Independent Stance
This incident follows Congress’s earlier displeasure when
Tharoor was included in a government-led global outreach delegation
post-Operation Sindoor (a recent counter-terror operation). The three-time MP
from Thiruvananthapuram has increasingly diverged from party lines on foreign
policy, fueling internal tensions.
The dispute underscores Congress’s efforts to counter the
BJP’s narrative that the Modi administration pioneered assertive cross-border
military action. While Tharoor framed the 2016 strikes as unprecedented,
Congress insists such operations occurred under previous governments but were
classified.