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Hans India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Knives out in Congress over Op Sindoor outreach, Udit Raj-Shashi Tharoor spat heats up
New Delhi: While India's global outreach on Operation Sindoor successfully turns the world's attention and concern towards Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, back home, this has led to 'serious differences' within the Congress party. Shashi Tharoor and Udit Raj, both tall leaders of the Congress party, are engaged in a bitter face-off over the former's praise for the Modi government's firm retaliation to Pakistan in response to April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, and insinuation that such counter-terrorism operation didn't happen before, during the previous UPA regimes. This has left the latter irked, and he dubbed Tharoor 'BJP's super spokesperson', accusing him of going against the party line. The verbal altercation attained another level on Thursday after the Thiruvananthapuram MP described the accusations against him as a 'distorted and twisted' attempt to push forward a certain agenda while 'equating' his party colleague to a 'troll'. Snubbing the party's concerns over his adulation of the Modi government, Tharoor said that some zealots back home are fulminating over his 'supposed ignorance of Indian valour', a charge he dismissed as absurdly false. He, however, clarified, "I was clearly and explicitly speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars.' Udit Raj, however, remained unrelenting in his attack and demanded that Tharoor must apologise for undermining the Congress party's history of upholding the sovereignty of the nation and teaching India's enemies a lesson, not once but on multiple occasions. 'We have no objection to Tharoor engaging in 'Modi-bhakti', but if he tries to portray the Congress party in a bad light and erase its historical contributions, he will be given a befitting reply,' said the Dalit face of the party, in a stinging response to Tharoor. A brief look at their statements shows the no-holds-barred argument between the two Congress veterans. "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 wrote on X this morning, while heading from Panama to Bagota (Colombia), where he will reiterate and reinforce India's stand in the fight against cross-border terrorism. Udit Raj's response to the raging row is equally scathing as he said, 'Tharoor can't get away by using English terminology and jargon. He must accept his mistake and express regret'. He also didn't rule out impending action on the Congress MP, currently spearheading India's diplomatic offensive against Pakistan in the biggest power centres of the world, including the United States. Notably, the altercation between two party veterans deepened Wednesday night, as Udit Raj's 'super spokesperson of BJP' jibe was endorsed by Pawan Khera, Chairman of the Congress' Media and Publicity Department and a member of the Congress Working Committee. Notably, there is already a growing discontent within the grand old party over Tharoor warming up to the BJP and showering praise on the Modi government, not once but on several occasions.
United News of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
'I've better things to do': Shashi Tharoor on Cong leaders' criticism
New Delhi, May 29 (UNI) Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is under attack from leaders within his own party for projecting India's case as part of global outreach on Operation Sindoor, on Thursday took a dig at his critics saying "I have better things to do.'' "I don't really have time for this…critics and trolls are welcome to distort my views and words as they see fit. I genuinely have better things to do. Goodnight,'' Tharoor tweeted before he left Panama for Colombia to educate them about India's policy of zero tolerance against terrorism. Tharoor earlier visited US and Panama. He said that after a long and successful day in Panama, he had to wind up at midnight here with departure for Bogota, Colombia, in six hours. He said his remarks were preceded by a reference to the several attacks that had 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''. Congress leader Udit Raj had on Wednesday criticised Tharoor calling him a "super spokesperson of the BJP.'' His party colleagues Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh joined the offensive against Tharoor and retweeted Udit Raj's comment. UNI RB PRS
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Congress vs Congress: Tharoor hits back after backlash from party leaders, says 'trolls distorting views'
New Delhi [India], May 29 (ANI): After facing a backlash from his party over his endorsement of the BJP-led Central government over Operation Sindoor, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday slammed his critics for 'distorting' his views. In a post on X, Tharoor pointed out that he spoke only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars. 'After a long and successful day in Panama, I have to wind up at midnight where 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, I was clearly and explicitly speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars,' he said. '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,' Shashi Tharoor clarified. Further, welcoming the trolls, the Congress MP said, '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.' Earlier today, Udit Raj sharpened his attack on his counterpart, saying that he has tried to malign the Congress party's image. On being asked if Shashi Tharoor should be suspended from the party, Raj said, 'That depends on the working committee, the national president, and Rahul Gandhi. If he makes incorrect statements and tries to erase Congress's history, then I am standing with Congress. I am not worried about personal gain; I am ready to sacrifice myself.' Udit Raj further claimed that Tharoor is glorifying Prime Minister Modi's 'fake surgical strikes'. 'He (Tharoor) is trying to malign Congress by saying the party has done nothing. You are glorifying PM Modi's fake surgical strikes. Defending, saying that security lapses happen everywhere, is a crime... The credit that the Army deserves should only go to the Army,' the Congress leader said. Recently, Udit Raj criticised Tharoor over his statement in Panama as part of the multi-party delegation and called him a 'spokesperson for the publicity stunts of the BJP'. Afterwards, Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh also endorsed Udit Raj's criticism, signalling that all is not well within the party. Tharoor, part of an all-party delegation, had stated that India crossed the Line of Control for the first time in September 2015 under the current government. Tharoor, who is leading the all-party delegation to the United States, Guyana, Panama and other nations, was not among the official choices suggested by the Congress to the government for the outreach delegations. (ANI)
India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Former assistant of Congress leader arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan
4:50 Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's support for Operation Sindhu has triggered a political controversy within his party. Senior Congress leaders, including Udit Raj and Pawan Kheda, have criticized Tharoor's statements. Udit Raj called Tharoor a 'super spokesperson of the BJP', while the party's top brass distanced themselves from his remarks. This incident highlights the internal divisions within the Congress party over national security issues.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Should Shashi Tharoor be suspended from Congress? What party colleague Udit Raj said
Udit Raj and Shashi Tharoor (File Images) NEW DELHI: Congress leader Udit Raj on Thursday claimed that Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor is trying to malign the oldest party by saying that it has done nothing. Tharoor's statements at Panama, lauding India's counterterror strikes, have sparked strong reactions from Congress leader Udit Raj. Calling the Operation Sindoor "fake," Raj said that Tharoor defended the lack of security that happened at the Pahalgam incident, where 26 people lost their lives. "Why are you differentiating between my stand and my party's stand? Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera also reposted what I said yesterday..." the Congress leader said while talking to ANI. The tussle between Congress and Tharoor escalated after the latter lauded India's counter terror strikes. This remarks have upset the top brass in Congress. Responding to a question, whether Tharoor will be suspended from the party, Raj said, "That depends on the working committee, the national president, and Rahul Gandhi. If he makes incorrect statements and tries to erase Congress's history, then I am standing with Congress. I am not worried about personal gain; I am ready to sacrifice myself. He is trying to malign Congress by saying the party has done nothing. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Dark Truth Nobody Talks About! Expertinspector Click Here Undo You are glorifying PM Modi's fake surgical strikes. Defending, saying that security lapses happen everywhere, is a crime... You are defending even the office, defending the lack of security. Is this in national interest? Since before and after independence, they were never in national interest. Today it's all about Modi, Modi — all about the army. Modi Ji is going around wearing a uniform. Like Modi Ji went to fight? The credit of the army, the valour of the army should remain with the army. It should be given to the army." The row stems from Tharoor's recent remarks at a multi-party delegation meeting in Panama. The Thiruvananthapuram MP specifically referenced the 2016 Surgical Strike and 2019 Balakot airstrike, highlighting these operations as significant examples. These military actions, as he pointed out, showed India's determination to pursue terrorist targets in Pakistan, regardless of the Line of Control or international boundaries. In his speech, the Congress MP highlighted India's evolving military response to terrorism, noting significant shifts in strategy. He discussed three major counter-terrorism operations that demonstrated India's increasing willingness to strike across borders. He stated, "What has changed in recent years is that the terrorists have also realised they will have a price to pay; on that, let there be no doubt. When, for the first time, India breached the Line of Control between India and Pakistan to conduct a surgical strike on a terror base, a launch pad - the Uri strike in September 2015. That was already something we had not done before. Even during the Kargil War, we had not crossed the Line of Control; in Uri, we did, and then came the attack in Pulwama in January 2019. This time, we crossed not only the Line of Control but also the international border, and we struck the terrorist headquarters in Balakot. This time, we have gone beyond both of those. We have not only gone beyond the Line of Control and the international border. We have struck at the Punjabi heartland of Pakistan by hitting terror bases, training centres, and terror headquarters in nine places." Tharoor's remarks emphasised the progression from the initial Uri strike to more extensive operations, culminating in strikes across multiple locations in Pakistan's Punjab region. Interestingly, BJP came forward and defended Tharoor's statement after Udit Raj criticised him on Wednesday as well for his speech in the Panama city. Earlier Union minister Kiren Rijiju and BJP member Shehzad Poonawala came forwad and defended Tharoor's statement. Rijiju questioned the party's priorities.
