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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Today in Politics: As Congress's woes pile up, can it calm things down?
It looks set to be a power-packed end to the working week for some of our top political leaders, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi coming to the end of his multi-state whirlwind tour and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Jammu. However, the more pressing issues appear to be on Congress's plate. First, the whole Shashi Tharoor episode appears to be getting out of hand. After the Congress clapped back at its Thiruvananthapuram MP for suggesting that the military had never crossed the Line of Control before 2016, Tharoor on Thursday responded to 'those zealots fulminating' about his 'supposed ignorance of Indian valour across the LoC in the past'. He clarified that he was 'clearly and explicitly speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about wars'. Then, Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh sparked a fresh furore amid all the sense of political unity generated by the multi-party missions sent across the globe, saying that just as the terrorists behind the Palagam attack had not been caught, the teams holding meetings in world capitals were 'roaming' about. So, where does the Congress go from here? Can it afford to cast aside a leader such as Tharoor, have a public fallout like this? No matter what the party brass thinks of his value in the realpolitik matrix of Kerala polls that are due next year, leaders like Tharoor also have their uses, and it is not a sound strategy to push him into the arms of the BJP. Moreover, can it introspect on its approach to the entire matter? As Manoj CG writes in his Capital Column this week, 'Having handled the days following the Pahalgam terror attack well, standing in full solidarity with the government and reining in its motormouths, the Congress has let all that flow out of the window. The most glaring example has been the party's response to the all-party delegations chosen by the government to present India's case against Pakistan abroad. 'If that was a canny move by a government not known to cede space to the Opposition, the Congress — rather than recognising when it is beat — has been churlish, starting with picking at names of its leaders chosen by the government for the teams.' Manoj also writes: 'The most unseeming spectacle has been the sniping between the Congress's own leaders and Tharoor who, by all accounts, is the star speaker of the delegations. As this plays out publicly on social media, it is being amplified by the party's communications department, with apparently no efforts to check the same. Many wondered why the party then allowed its leaders to be part of the all-party government exercise in the first place.' Second, the Congress also has a problem on its hands in Karnataka, where several of its Muslim leaders have resigned over a spurt in communal attacks in the state's Dakshina Kannada district, report Akram M and Kiran Parashar. These leaders and party workers are angry with the state home ministry headed by G Parameshwara, accusing it of failing to curb these incidents. The government has set up a Special Action Force to curb communal crimes in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Shivamogga. Two different problems, but both carry the potential to hurt the Congress. Given this situation, can the country's largest Opposition party then get over petty squabbles and focus on the matters at hand and amicably resolve them? These will be among the things to watch out for on Friday. What's happening today:
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Letters to The Editor — May 30, 2025
Manipur situation The intent by some in the National Democratic Alliance 'to form a 'popular' government in Manipur' is strange (Page 1, May 29). That these people are unaware of the ground reality is cause for concern. The consensus of all stakeholders and a proper settlement of the ethnic conflict is what will pave the way for a conducive environment. One expects the government of the day to engage with the warring factions and find a lasting solution to the crisis. Prabhu Raj R., Bengaluru MP's line Congress Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor has done a good job of turning the defence of India's position vis-à-vis Pakistan into an unqualified eulogisation of the top leader in the course of India's diplomatic outreach (Inside pages, 'Shashi Tharoor faces flak from his own party for remarks on LoC breach', May 29). Reading between the lines, one can say with certainty that the MP awards more marks to the government of the day than previous Congress governments in dealing with Pakistan. For all his scholarship, sophistication, sensitivity and sensibility, are his words laced with the belligerence typical of right-wing hardliners? Is there a desperation to demonstrate that he wears his patriotism on his sleeves? A poet dreamt that he was a butterfly and was left to wonder which way he was dreaming. The MP seems to share the poet's predicament. G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu Had the erudite leader remembered the India-Pakistan war of 1965, he would have known that the Indian Army had not only crossed the ceasefire line but also captured the entire Haji Pir bulge in the Battle of Haji Pir Pass. It marked a turning point in the conflict and held until vacated under the Tashkent Agreement. Not recognising such significant military achievements would be more than unfair to the valour and the sacrifices of India's armed forces. S.K. Choudhury, Bengaluru The MP's statements have sparked understandable outrage within his own party. While political maturity involves acknowledging national achievements beyond party lines, it is troubling when such statements blur ideological boundaries and confuse people. By appearing to align with the ruling party's narrative, the MP risks weakening the Opposition's position and inadvertently bolstering the BJP's propaganda. It is essential for Opposition leaders to maintain clarity, consistency, and an accountability to the values their party stands for. Rukma Sharma Jalandhar, Punjab Digital literacy Digital literacy in rural India is essential. Many lack Internet access and basic digital skills. Governments and schools must provide the necessary infrastructure and training. Bridging this divide ensures equal opportunities for education, jobs, and growth. As a student, I believe it is time to act. Buvan Doolla, Mumbai Inadequate Torrential rainfall following the early onset of the southwest monsoon has undoubtedly exposed the creaky drainage infrastructure of Indian cities. There is no doubt that several of India's metropolitan cities do not have well-equipped drainage systems to deal with the recent changes in weather patterns. With weather vagaries becoming the new normal, cities have to invest more to revamp their drainage systems to avoid the flooding that affects livelihoods and causes damage. M. Jeyaram, Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Tharoor slams Congress amid ‘surgical strikes' remark row
Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor on Thursday, hit back at his critics, calling them 'zealots' and 'trolls' and clarified that his remark—'for the first time, India breached the Line of Control to conduct a surgical strike'—was said in the context of terror attacks and not about previous wars. He was responding on X to criticism of his comment from Congress leaders about his comments that India conducted its first surgical strike in response to a terror attack in 2016. But while a senior Congress leader sought to play down the entire episode, others doubled down on their criticism of Tharoor, even as the Bharatiya Janata Party backed the comments. If India's multi-party outreach to the world to reiterate the message of Operation Sindoor and highlight Pakistan's continued support of terror is the main feature, the Congress' obvious, and sometimes articulated, discomfort about Tharoor's presence on and active and enthusiastic participation in one outreach delegation, has played out like a diverting side show. 'After a long and successful day in Panama, I have to wind up at midnight here with departure for Bogota, Colombia in six hours, so I don't really have time for this — but anyway: For those zealots fulminating about my supposed ignorance of Indian valour across the LoC: in the past. 1. I was clearly and explicitly speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars; & 2. My remarks were preceded by a reference to the several attacks that have taken place in recent years alone, during which previous Indian responses were both restrained and constrained by our responsible respect for the LoC and the IB. But as usual, critics and trolls are welcome to distort my views and words as they see fit. I genuinely have better things to do. Goodnight,' Tharoor said on X. Tharoor's rebuttal came a day after party leader Udit Raj accused him of being 'dishonest' and for allegedly denigrating the 'golden history' of the party. Raj suggested that would recommend to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Tharoor be made a super-spokesperson of the BJP or as India's foreign minister. The government, which nominated Tharoor as a leader of one of the delegations -- despite the Congress' desire to nominate others -- joined the debate. Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju questioned the Congress' stance. 'What does the Congress party want & How much they really care for the country? Should Indian MPs go to foreign nation and speak against India and its Prime Minister? There's limit to political desperation! We Indians must speak in one voice in crucial time at least !!' Rijiju said on X. Senior Congress leader and party general secretary Randeep Surjewala tried to play down the entire episode on Thursday. He announced 'Tharoor is a seasoned and experienced leader of the Congress and is very much part of the Congress family. But he too insisted that Tharoor was wrong about the surgical strikes. 'Congress party only corrected (him) by pointing out that surgical strikes against Pakistan and other dens of terrorists was a regular feature even during the UPA term -- to give a befitting reply to terrorists by our armed forces and the Congress governments. Those instances have been detailed in the past by the communications department (when Surjewala headed the department). Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh as himself spoken about them; Tharoor himself in his book spoken about them, and Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera have only put the record straight. It is not a matter of acrimony and doubt,' Surjewala added. On Thursday, Congress' Media department head Pawan Khera said on X that he agreed with Tharoor's comments in the book The Paradoxical Prime Minister. He posted an image of highlighted passages in the book that said: 'The shameless exploitation of the 2016 'surgical strikes'… and of a military raid in hot pursuit of rebels in Myanmar as a party election tool -- something the Congress had never done despite having authorized several such strikes earlier....' . Udit Raj too, hit out at Tharoor again. 'Let him praise, worship, or do whatever he wants, I have no concern with that. But if he acts against the interests of the Congress party and tries to erase its history, there will be consequences,' Raj, who is the national chairman of Unorganized Workers & Employees Congress, said on Thursday.
News18
2 days ago
- Politics
- News18
'Congress Must Stop Lying': BJP Hits Back At 'Surgical Strikes During UPA' Claim
Last Updated: Calling it corrupt when it comes to "numbers related to national security", the BJP slammed the Congress for making contradictory claims about surgical strikes conducted under UPA In a strong response to claims made by the Congress of surgical strikes under the UPA government, the BJP said the Grand Old Party must stop telling lies when it comes to matters related to national security. Calling it 'corrupt" and 'cowardly", when it comes to national security, the BJP slammed the Congress for making self-contradictory claims about surgical strikes conducted under the UPA government. When, in fact, there were no such operations conducted under the UPA government as confirmed by the response of the Director General Military Operations (DGMO) to a 2018 RTI query, it said. 'Congress is corrupt, even when it comes to numbers related to national security. However, there were no surgical strikes under UPA as confirmed by the DGMO in response to an RTI query dated April 2018. Darpok Congress must STOP LYING," the BJP said in a post on X. In its post, the BJP cited a 2018 report published by Hindustan Times in which senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has claimed that three surgical strikes were conducted under the UPA government. It also cited claims of six surgical strikes under the UPA government between 2008 and 2014, made by the Congress in a social media post on Thursday. WHAT IS THE CONTROVERSY? The political back-and-forth between the BJP and Congress over surgical strikes was triggered by MP Shashi Tharoor, who said India breached the Line of Control (LoC) for the first time in 2016 to carry out surgical strikes despite his party's claims that similar operations took place under the Manmohan Singh-led government but were never publicised. In Panama, Tharoor lauded India's counter-terrorism measures, including the 2016 Uri surgical strike and the 2019 Balakot airstrike, as marking a shift in the country's approach to terrorism. He, however, clarified and pointed out in a post on X that he spoke only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars. The Indian Army, both in a 2016 press conference and an RTI reply, had said what Tharoor has now reiterated. The Army's Northern Command chief in 2019, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh had said after the surgical strikes in September 2016 that this was a first. He had quoted a 2018 RTI reply given by the DGMO, which clarified that the first such surgical strike was carried out in 2016. 'Army does not have any data pertaining to surgical strikes if carried out before September 29, 2016," the RTI reply said, upon a query if surgical strikes happened between 2004 and 2014 under the tenure of the UPA government as well. First Published: May 29, 2025, 22:28 IST
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Pawan Khera jabs Tharoor for surgical strikes comment, quotes from his book
Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera on Thursday took a dig at fellow party leader Shashi Tharoor after the latter clarified his comments about surgical strikes conducted under the BJP-led NDA government. In a post on X, Khera shared an excerpt from Tharoor's 2018 book 'The Paradoxical Prime Minister: Narendra Modi and His India', where he had accused the Modi government of "repeatedly using the army in its political propaganda". "I agree with what Dr Shashi Tharoor writes about surgical strikes in his book 'The Paradoxical Prime Minister'," Pawan Khera captioned the post. Recently, Tharoor, who was leading an all-party delegation in Panama, talked about the 2016 surgical strikes, saying 'that was something we had not done before". The remark did not go down well with some of the Congress leaders, who accused him of being the ruling BJP's 'spokesperson'. Congress leader Udit Raj said, 'Alas! I could prevail upon PM Modi to declare you as super spokesperson of BJP, even declaring as foreign minister before landing in India.' This tweet from Udit Raj was reposted by some senior Congress leaders, including Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh. Tharoor, however, clarified that his comments were taken out of context. 'After a long and successful day in Panama, I have to wind up at midnightvhere with departure for Bogota, Colombia in six hours, so I don't really have time for this - but anyway: For those zealots fulminating about my supposed ignorance of Indian valour across the LoC: in the past (sic),' he said in a post on X. "I was clearly and explicitly speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars; & my remarks were preceded by a reference to the several attacks that have taken place in recent years alone, during which previous Indian responses were both restrained and constrained by our responsible respect for the LoC and the IB. But as usual, critics and trolls are welcome to distort my views and words as they see fit. I genuinely have better things to do. Goodnight (sic)," he added. Tharoor is currently leading an all-party delegation to countries like the United States, Panama, Guyana, Brazil, and Colombia as part of the government's diplomatic outreach following Operation Sindoor
