Congress leader Shashi Tharoor is in the middle of a tough situation. While many critics outside his party have praised him for clearly explaining India’s stand during tensions with Pakistan, his own party members are not happy with what he has said. This mix of support and criticism shows how divided the Congress party is over handling the current issues between India and Pakistan.

Critics praise Tharoor, but Congress leaders disagree

Shashi Tharoor, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, made headlines recently by stating that India would never allow any third-party mediation in its talks with Pakistan. However, his party colleagues did not support this view. At a press conference, Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera were asked about Tharoor’s statement. Jairam Ramesh said, "It is his opinion. When Tharoor saab speaks, it is not the party's opinion."

The Congress party has been questioning the government’s silence on the role of the United States in the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Jairam Ramesh said, "For the last few days, the Congress party has been asking why US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. This is happening for the first time. PM Modi does not say anything on this. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that America's role was so important that it was because of them that this war stopped. External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar does not even answer this."

He added, "We are continuously asking why PM Modi and the external affairs minister are not answering what the role of America is."

On the other hand, Shashi Tharoor has praised the government for how it handled the conflict. He said, "The government has taken care not to give the other side an opportunity to expand the conflict in the sense that they have only attacked identified terror bases and launchpads." Tharoor also denied claims that India allowed the US to mediate, saying Pakistan reached out after India’s strikes shook Islamabad.

Tharoor has been the voice of India’s position in international media interviews. Even some leaders from the rival BJP have supported him. Senior BJP leader Amit Malviya said on X, "The Congress party has distanced itself from Shashi Tharoor's statement upholding India's sovereignty and its decision to defend itself against external aggression. It is ironic that Tharoor is perhaps the only Congress leader who made sense and stood with India in this situation."

Malviya also criticised Congress leadership, saying, "Yet, the coterie around Rahul Gandhi – currently running the affairs of the Congress party – seems unwilling to acknowledge one of their senior-most MPs, who even ran for the Congress president's post not too long ago. What a pity."

Congress leaders say Tharoor ‘crossed the lakshman rekha’

Inside the Congress party, many leaders feel that Shashi Tharoor has gone beyond acceptable limits with his comments. A PTI report said some senior Congress leaders think Tharoor "has crossed the Lakshman Rekha this time." Lakshman Rekha is a term from the Ramayana that means a boundary or limit that should not be crossed.

Several senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Sachin Pilot, and Shashi Tharoor himself, met at the party headquarters to discuss the situation.

A party source said, "We are a democratic party, and people keep expressing their opinions, but this time, Tharoor has crossed the Lakshman Rekha." The leaders reportedly sent a "clear message" that party members should focus on promoting the party’s official views and avoid giving personal opinions.

Shashi Tharoor’s difficult political path

Shashi Tharoor’s journey in the Congress party has been full of ups and downs. He is a former Union minister and has often spoken his mind, even if it upset others in his party. In 2014, Tharoor was removed as the party’s spokesperson after he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an article.

In 2022, Tharoor was part of a group of 23 senior leaders who asked for major changes in the party’s organisation. Many of those leaders later left Congress. That same year, Tharoor ran against Mallikarjun Kharge for the Congress president’s position. Although Kharge, supported by the Gandhi family, won easily, Tharoor received over 1,000 votes—a strong show of support for someone challenging the party’s preferred candidate.

You might also be interested in: Travel, trade, and ties cut: India hits back at Turkey with boycott calls