Will Congress leader Shashi Tharoor join BJP after praising PM Modi? Here's what he says

Commenting on the recent buzz about him joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday (June 24) clarified that he is not “leaping to join the prime minister's party.” It all began when Tharoor published an article praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Operation Sindoor's outreach initiative. Tharoor said that the article was not an indication of him joining the ruling party, but a call for national unity. Tharoor in the article had described PM Modi's energy and global engagement as a "prime asset" for India. In the article published in The Hindu, Tharoor has also written that the diplomatic outreach following "Operation Sindoor" was a moment of national resolve and effective communication.

Speaking at an event in Moscow, the Thiruvananthapuram MP responded to reactions over his article, and said, “It is not a sign of my leaping to join the prime minister's party (the BJP) as some people unfortunately have been implying,” Tharoor said. “It is a statement of national unity, of national interest and of standing up for India, which to my mind is fundamentally why I came back to India after 25 years of service at the UN.”

Earlier, Tharoor's remark about surgical strikes that India has conducted in the last decade during his visit as a part of the Operation Sindoor delegation had not gone down well with his party. The Congress party was quick to highlight that the surgical strikes that were conducted before 2014 as well, with Congress leader Pawan Khera publically criticising him. “I have been working in Congress for the past 16 years. I have some differences of opinion with the party, and I will discuss them inside the party," Tharoor had said after returning to India. He did highlight the difference in opinion, but was clear about the fact that the Congress party, its values and workers are dear to him. "As you know, I have disagreements with the current Congress leadership. Some of them are in the public domain, so you know them. It is better to sort it out within the party by talking to them directly. Congress party, its values, and its workers are dear to me. I have been working with them for the past 16 years, and I have seen their commitment, dedication and idealism," he added.

What more Tharoor said in the article?

In the article titled, ‘Lessons from Operation Sindoor’s global outreach’ in The Hindu, Tharoor - who was a part of Operation Sindoor's outreach delegation - wrote, “The very composition of our delegations, featuring Members of Parliament (MPs) from diverse political parties, different States and varied faiths, was a potent message in itself. It underscored that when it comes to national security and confronting terrorism, India speaks with one voice. This transcended domestic political differences, imbuing our message with greater credibility and gravitas in the eyes of our international interlocutors. Whether engaging with the President of Guyana or the U.S. Vice-President, the collective resolve of India, represented by its varied political spectrum, resonated deeply.”

He also praised Prime Minister Modi's "energy, dynamism, and willingness to engage" as a "prime asset" for India on the global stage, adding that the Prime Minister deserved greater support. "While the immediate military action was decisive, the subsequent diplomatic outreach was equally, if not more, vital in shaping global perceptions and consolidating international support," he added.

Congress vs BJP over Tharoor's comment

The BJP said that Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s opinion piece has “exposed” the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Office, through its official handle on X, also shared Tharoor’s opinion piece. Meanwhile, in the first open criticism, Congress leader K Muraleedharan targeted Tharoor and said, “he is a member of the working committee. It is quite disgusting that a member of the working committee continues to praise the political opponent of the Congress.”