Is it so difficult to be patriotic: Salman Khurshid to those criticising his anti-terror mission
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New Delhi: After Shashi Tharoor, who recently hit back at those who politically criticised his conduct as a delegate of the Indian outreach mission , senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Monday asked "is it difficult to be patriotic?" in a passionate disapproval of the partisan criticism from the domestic political gallery of his spirited support of India's Operation Sindoor against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and his defence of the state of affairs in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370. The former external affairs minister's remarks on these issues abroad had led to a BJP-Congress skirmish at home besides certain sections of the social media targeting him."When on a mission against terrorism, to carry India's message to the world, it's distressing that people at home are calculating political allegiances. Is it so difficult to be patriotic?" Khurshid said on social media. Incidentally, Khurshid is currently considered to be in the good books of the Congress leadership, a fact that still has not spared him of partisan criticism from the political divide.Khurshid told a news agency in Kuala Lumpur, "People keep saying, 'what are you doing in a delegation where there are people from BJP? What are you doing there? What are we doing here?" We are doing here, what is needed for the country. No matter which party you are from, today, what is needed is a single voice to speak in favour of the nation and that is what we are doing here. I think when I say, is it so difficult to be a patriot? That is the question that has to be asked of those who are putting out tweets and saying things that I think I believe are not very encouraging when you want to do something for the nation".He further said, "People are saying, he (Salman Khurshid) is supporting so and so and he is not supporting so and so; they are supporting the government etc. Have I come here to oppose the Government of India? If I wanted to do that, I would stay at home. I have come here to speak for India, whoever speaks for India and in whichever way they speak for India, whatever is said for India, we are here to support."A few days ago, Khurshid had said, as a member of the Indian delegation, that it was unfortunate that Pakistan wants to undo the prosperity that has come to Jammu & Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370, and that the existence of Article 370 had somehow given the impression that J&K was separate from the rest of the country. While he earned criticism from certain sections for that comment, the fact is even the Congress leadership, which initially opposed the abrogation of Article 370, has since back pedalled on the issue, and is preferring these days only to seek the revival of statehood for J&K.
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