The Congress on Sunday sought to draw a clear line between the party and senior leader Shashi Tharoor after his remarks lauding BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani sparked internal unease.
The controversy began when Tharoor extended birthday greetings to the former Deputy Prime Minister, calling him a “true statesman” and commending his “unwavering commitment to public service.”
“Wishing the venerable Shri L.K. Advani a very happy 98th birthday! His unwavering commitment to public service, his modesty & decency, and his role in shaping the trajectory of modern India are indelible,” Tharoor posted on X.
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As criticism mounted online, the Congress leadership moved swiftly to clarify its stance. Party spokesperson Pawan Khera wrote on X, “Like always, Dr Shashi Tharoor speaks for himself, and the Indian National Congress outrightly dissociates itself from his most recent statement.”
Khera added that Tharoor’s continued presence in the party’s Working Committee “reflects the essential democratic and liberal spirit unique to the INC.”
Advani, one of the BJP’s founding figures and a key architect of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, turned 98 this week. The veteran leader, who has long retired from public life, was awarded the Bharat Ratna earlier this year.
Tharoor’s remarks, however, drew strong reactions from several quarters. Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde replied to Tharoor’s post, writing, “Unleashing the ‘dragon seeds of hatred’ in this country is NOT public service,” alluding to Advani’s controversial Rath Yatra that preceded the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition.
Defending his position, Tharoor argued that a political legacy should not be defined by a single event. “Reducing his long years of service to one episode, however significant, is unfair. The totality of Nehruji’s career cannot be judged by the China setback, nor Indira Gandhi’s by the Emergency alone. I believe we should extend the same courtesy to Advaniji,” he said.
Earlier this week, Tharoor also courted attention for an article titled “Indian Politics Are a Family Business” published by Project Syndicate, where he criticised dynastic politics across party lines. “It is high time India traded dynasty for meritocracy,” he wrote, warning that lineage-based leadership poses “a grave threat” to Indian democracy.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla was quick to seize on Tharoor’s comments, suggesting that his article revealed “disappointment with Rahul Gandhi.” He quipped that Tharoor had become a “khatron ke khiladi”, someone who courts danger.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Udit Raj defended political dynasties, saying such patterns exist across professions. “A doctor’s son becomes a doctor, a businessman’s child continues in business, and politics is no exception,” he said.
This is not the first time Tharoor has caused discomfort within his party. Earlier this year, he described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “undoubtedly the most dominant political figure in the country,” a remark that drew disapproval from several Congress leaders amid growing tensions with the ruling BJP.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
