Senior Congressleader Shashi Tharoor is reportedly upset with the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, for sidelining him at a recent party event. It is learnt that Tharoor is set to skip a strategy meeting of the party on Friday ahead of the upcoming polls in Kerala.
According to the PTI report, Tharoor is upset with Rahul Gandhi for not properly acknowledging him at a recent event and has decided to skip the meeting after being subjected to repeated attempts from state leaders within the INC to “sideline” him.
Tharoor’s reason for not attending
While Tharoor’s office has officially communicated to the party that he would not be able to attend the meeting due to his prior commitments at the KeralaLiterature festival in Kozhikode, a recent PTI report citing sources has revealed another set of reasons for Tharoor’s absence.
As per the report, while a series of events had led to Tharoor’s general disappointment with his reception at the party, the tipping point was Gandhi not acknowledging him at the ‘Maha Panchayath’ held in Kochi on January 19 to felicitate local body poll winners.
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Gandhi acknowledged other senior leaders on stage and took their names but did not mention Tharoor, a four-time MP and one of the three CWC members from the state, who was also on the dais at the event.
Tharoor’s decision to skip the party meet is being seen as particularly significant by many on the internet as it comes after recent efforts to smooth internal differences during the Wayanad meetings held on the sidelines of the ‘Lakshya 2026 leadership camp’ where the party had worked out its roadmap for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections.
Following that conclave, Tharoor had publicly stated that he had “never deviated from the party line,” signalling reconciliation and organisational unity.
However, multiple media reports citing sources now suggest that internal contradictions have resurfaced once again in the Congress party, with Tharoor feeling increasingly dissatisfied with how he is being treated within the state leadership structure.
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Tharoor’s recent troubles with Congress
A career diplomat turned politician and member of Parliament (MP), Tharoor has recently come under heavy fire from state leaders within Congress for his remarks on India’s foreign policy which they say deviate from the party line and favour PM Narendra Modi.
A row had erupted last year after Tharoor appeared to praise the BJP-led central government’s approach following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, in Jammu and Kashmir.
The remarks – which included Tharoor’s praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for how he handled the aftermath of April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor – had upset the Congress leadership.
Tharoor was also criticized by party leadership for a column he published after the attack in The Hindu, where Tharoor lauded the Prime Minister’s global stature.
“ rime Minister Narendra Modi’s energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remains a prime asset for India on the global stage, but deserves greater backing,” he wrote.
Kharge’s Comment criticising Tharoor
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that Tharoor was made a member of Congress primarily for his understanding of the English language and accused him of putting Modi first and country later.
“I said in Gulbarga that we spoke in one voice that we stood together for the country. We stood together in Operation Sindoor. We said that country comes first, but some people say that Modi comes first, country comes later. So, what should we do?” he had said in 2025 taking a swipe at Tharoor.
Tharoor’s response
Replying to the snub, Tharoor clarified that he was trying to present a message of national unity. “It (praise for the Prime Minister) is not a sign of my leaping to join his party… as some people have, unfortunately, been implying. It is a statement of national unity…” he had previously said, in response to allegations being levied against him by state leaders from INC. |
