Latest news with #TheParadoxicalPrimeMinister
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Surjewala calls Tharoor 'part of Congress family' to pacify party leaders
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Thursday said that Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor's recent remarks about the surgical strikes were factually incorrect. Surjewala made these remarks after Tharoor, who is leading an all-party delegation across five countries, to partner nations to emphasise India's zero tolerance to terror and ' Operation Sindoor ', in Panama, noted that India has changed its approach in the past few years. Tharoor also made references to the surgical strikes India made in 2016 and 2019. Tharoor vs Congress Following Tharoor's remarks, some Congress leaders expressed their disagreement. Congress leader Udit Raj in a post on X said, 'How could you denigrate the golden history of Congress by saying that before PM Modi, India never crossed LoC and the International border?' Elaborating on it, Raj added, 'In 1965, the Indian Army entered Pakistan at multiple points, which completely surprised the Pakistanis in the Lahore sector. In 1971, India tore Pakistan into two pieces, and during the UPA government, several surgical strikes were unleashed, but drum beating was not done to encash it politically. How could you be so dishonest to the party that gave you so much?' Raj's sentiment was echoed by another Congress leader, Pawan Khera, who quoted from Tharoor's book 'The Paradoxical Prime Minister' stating, 'The shameless exploitation of the 2016 surgical strikes along the Line of Control with Pakistan, and a military raid in hot pursuit of rebels in Myanmar, as party election tool - something the Congress had never done despite having authorised several such strikes earlier - marked a particularly disgraceful dilution of the principle that national security issues require both discretion and non-partisanship.' Tharoor responds to criticism from Congress In response to comments from several Congress leaders, Shashi Tharoor took to X, clarifying that his remarks in Panama were 'only reprisals for terrorist attacks'. Tharoor explained, '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.' Surjewala's attempt at pacifying party leaders On Thursday, Surjewala told reporters that Tharoor is a senior Congress leader and part of the Congress family, but his remarks about the surgical strikes were factually incorrect. Defending the party leaders, Surjewala said the party had only tried to correct the record by pointing out that the surgical strikes in Pakistan and also at other dens of terrorists 'were regularly executed' during the Congress-led UPA government to give a befitting reply to terrorists. (With agency inputs)
Mint
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
‘No noise, no PR': Congress claims 6 surgical strikes in UPA era. BJP hits back - ‘must stop lying'
The Congress party has reiterated its claim that six such military operations were carried out across the border during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, responded quickly accusing the Congress party of 'lying.' The Congres-vs-BJP on social media comes amid tensions between the grand-old party and its leader Shashi Tharoor over India's surgical strikes before and after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the centre. Tharoor, who is leading an all-party delegation to foreign countries post Operation Sindoor, has invited criticism over his statement that India conducted its first surgical strike in response to a terror attack in 2016. Sharing a video on X, the Congress party wrote, 'No Noise. No PR. Only Decisive Actions. 6 Surgical Strikes were carried out under Congress Govt.' The BJP responded to Congress claims and accused the party of lying. '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 sharing a 2018 story from HT – 'UPA did 3 surgical strikes.' In December 2018, the then Congress president Rahul Gandhi had asserted that the Indian Army conducted three surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) when the UPA government was in power. On May 29, senior Congress leader and party general secretary Randeep Surjewala, though, backed the 'seasoned and experienced' Tharoor, he also insisted that the leader was wrong about the surgical strikes. "Congress party only corrected (him) by pointing out that surgical strikes against Pakistan and other dens of terrorists were a regular feature even during the UPA term – to give a befitting reply to terrorists by our armed forces and the Congress governments," Surjewala said. Instances of surgical strikes during the Congress-led UPA government have been detailed in the past by the AICC Communication department and by Tharoor himself in his 2018 book "The Paradoxical Prime Minister", the Surjewala said. "Even former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh in the past spoke about these surgical strikes. Mr Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera have set the record straight. It should not be matter of any acrimony or doubt," Surjewala said. Tharoor has come under stringent criticism by several Congress leaders, including media and publicity department head Pawan Khera and party leader Udit Raj, for not mentioning surgical strikes against Pakistan during the UPA government in his presentations abroad. Udit Raj said he should be made a "super spokesperson of the BJP". The Congress' digs continued on Thursday with Raj saying what the Kerala MP had said was a "lie and a conspiracy to destroy the Congress". Congress is corrupt, even when it comes to numbers related to national security. Tharoor, who is heading a multi-party delegation to five countries, including Panama and the US, had a ready riposte for the jibes by some of his party colleagues. For 'zealots' fulminating about his supposed ignorance of Indian valour across the LoC, he was "clearly and explicitly" speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said in a post on X from Panama City on Thursday morning. Critics and trolls were welcome to distort his views and words as they see fit but he genuinely has "better things to do", he said.
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Business Standard
3 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
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Our MPs are roaming, terrorists also roaming,' says Jairam Ramesh in fresh swipe at all-party teams
Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh, who has been consistently questioning the government over Operation Sindoor and the all-party delegations sent by it abroad, triggered a fresh war of words Thursday with remarks suggesting that just as the terrorists behind Palagam had not been caught, the teams holding meetings in world capitals were 'roaming' about. The seven delegations include several leaders of the Congress, with MP Shashi Tharoor leading one of the teams. Speaking to ANI, Ramesh, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, said Thursday: 'It has been one month since the attack in Pahalgam in April. They (the terrorists) are still roaming here and there… Our MPs are roaming and terrorists are also roaming. We are asking these questions seriously. They (the government) do not answer these questions. The BJP only targets the Congress party. Their attack… should be on the terrorists… on Pakistan. The terrorists should be arrested.' The BJP slammed Ramesh, saying his remarks 'comparing our MPs to terrorists' were 'most atrocious'. Party national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said: 'This is how Congress undermines not just our Military Strike (Op Sindoor) by calling it Chut Put (referring to a remark by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge) but also our diplomatic strike.' Why should Parliament not take action against Ramesh, Poonawalla asked. BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari posted: 'Rahul Gandhi's right hand Jairam Ramesh compares Members Of Parliament with Terrorists!' On Wednesday, the Congress had publicly rebuked Tharoor for suggesting that the surgical strikes under the Modi government were the first of their kind, while addressing a meeting in Panama as part of his delegation. Congress spokesperson Udit Raj said the UPA government too had carried out such strikes but not made political capital from the same, and added: 'I could prevail upon PM Modi to declare you (Tharoor) as super spokesperson of BJP, even foreign minister before (you land) in India.' On Thursday, Congress Media and Publicity Department chairperson Pawan Khera, who had reposted Udit Raj's post on Wednesday, shared an extract from Tharoor's book The Paradoxical Prime Minister, which criticised 'the shameless exploitation of the 2016 surgical strikes'. 'I agree with what Dr Shashi Tharoor wrote about surgical strikes in his book in 2018,' Khera said. In a sharp reaction Thursday, Tharoor said: '… For those zealots fulminating about my supposed ignorance of Indian valour across the LoC in the past — 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,' said the Congress MP. '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,' Tharoor added. #WATCH | Delhi: Congress MP Jairam Ramesh says, 'It is being heard that a special session can be called on 25th and 26th June because it is the 50th anniversary of the Emergency. Undeclared Emergency has been in force in our country since 2014. He wants to call a special session… — ANI (@ANI) May 29, 2025 In his remarks to ANI, Ramesh also targeted the BJP government for not calling a special session of Parliament to discuss the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, as several Opposition leaders have been demanding. 'It is being heard that a special session can be called on June 25 and 26 because it is the 50th anniversary of the Emergency. An undeclared Emergency has been in force in our country since 2014. He (Modi) wants to call a special session for what happened 50 years ago? To divert attention from today's questions, they are talking about it… You are quiet on what President Donald Trump is saying. You have given a clean chit to China and you are quiet. Why are you politicising Operation Sindoor when the Opposition is talking of unity?' Ramesh said.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Congress vs Tharoor tensions deepen: party says he's part of family, MP hits out at critics
Tensions between the Congress and its leader Shashi Tharoor escalated on Thursday with the party saying he was very much part of their family but had erred in claiming that surgical strikes against Pakistan were held for the first time in 2016. Tharoor, who is heading a multi-party delegation to five countries, including Panama and the US, had a ready riposte for the jibes by some of his party colleagues. For "zealots" fulminating about his supposed ignorance of Indian valour across the LoC, he was "clearly and explicitly" speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said in a post on X from Panama City on Thursday morning. Critics and trolls were welcome to distort his views and words as they see fit but he genuinely has "better things to do", he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 10 อาหารทั่วไปที่ไม่ควรกินเพื่อหลีกเลี่ยงมะเร็ง อ่านเพิ่มเติม Trying to pacify frayed tempers, Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said there is no acrimony among leaders of the party. "Shashi Tharoor is a senior Congress leader and very much part of the Congress family However, what he said about the surgical strike was factually incorrect," Surjewala told reporters. Live Events "The Congress party only corrected the record by pointing out that the surgical strike on Pakistan and also at other places on the den of terrorists were regularly executed during Congress-led UPA government to give a befitting reply to terrorists by our armed forces and the then Congress Government," he added when questioned on the war of words between some Congress leaders and Tharoor. Instances of surgical strikes during the Congress-led UPA government have been detailed in the past by the AICC Communication department and by Tharoor himself in his 2018 book "The Paradoxical Prime Minister", the Congress leader said. "Even former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh in the past spoke about these surgical strikes. Mr Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera have set the record straight. It should not be matter of any acrimony or doubt," Surjewala said. Tharoor has come under stringent criticism by several Congress leaders, including media and publicity department head Pawan Khera and party leader Udit Raj, for not mentioning surgical strikes against Pakistan during the UPA government in his presentations abroad. Udit Raj said he should be made a "super spokesperson of the BJP". The Congress' digs continued on Thursday with Raj saying what the Kerala MP had said was a "lie and a conspiracy to destroy the Congress". "The delegations which have been sent are trying to destroy the name of the Congress... Shashi Tharoor says that before PM Modi's leadership, we never crossed LoC or any international border with Pakistan. It is a big lie and a big conspiracy to destroy the history of the Congress which needs to be replied to," Raj told PTI Videos. "He should focus on his duty rather than criticising the Congress party... Congress took required measures in the past but never publicised it or used it as a medium of collecting votes in their favour," he said. Raj's remarks were reposted on X by Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh. Khera also shared a screenshot from Tharoor's book in which he criticised the Modi government for allegedly exploiting the 2016 surgical strikes politically. "I agree with that Dr Shashi Tharoor who wrote about surgical strikes in his book in 2018 - 'The Paradoxical Prime Minister'," Khera said. "The shameless exploitation of the 2016 'surgical strikes' along the Line of Control with Pakistan, 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--marked a particularly disgraceful dilution of the principle that national security issues require both discretion and non-partisanship," Tharoor writes in the book. An apparently infuriated Tharoor also put out a lengthy post on X. "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." "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," Tharoor said, while responding to the criticism.
