BJP, JD-U back Shashi Tharoor’s foreign policy remarks, Congress unease resurfaces
New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has once again found himself at the centre of a political storm after making a statement on India’s foreign policy, asserting that the defeat of a Prime Minister is equivalent to the defeat of India.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) welcomed Tharoor’s remarks, the statement has once again drawn criticism from within his own party, the Congress.
The BJP and the JD-U backed Tharoor’s comments, emphasising the need for national unity on the global stage, while also criticising the Opposition for targeting the country’s leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at international platforms.
Speaking to a leading media outlet on Friday, Congress MP Tharoor said that foreign policy does not belong to the BJP or the Congress, but to India as a nation.
“If someone in politics rejoices at the defeat of a Prime Minister, they are celebrating the defeat of India,” Tharoor said. Recalling the words of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, he added, “If India dies, who will live?”
Reacting to Tharoor’s remarks, Maharashtra BJP MLA Ram Kadam described the statement as candid and factual.
“Shashi Tharoor’s statement is a truthful and straightforward remark that the Prime Minister is not the leader of any single party, but the Prime Minister of the entire country. Unfortunately, the way some leaders, particularly Rahul Gandhi, make comments, criticisms, or sarcastic remarks is regrettable. These remarks, under the guise of commentary, are diminishing the essence and dignity of our India,” Kadam told IANS.
“Rahul Gandhi should at least listen to his party’s leader, Shashi Tharoor, and understand this concept,” he added.
JD-U spokesperson Neeraj Kumar, speaking to IANS, said that India has traditionally maintained bipartisan unity on issues of foreign policy and national security.
“India has traditionally maintained unity on foreign policy, national security, and terrorism, avoiding public disputes between the government and the Opposition. However, internal matters are now being discussed abroad,” Kumar said.
Maharashtra BJP MLA Sanjay Upadhyay also came out in support of Tharoor, telling IANS: “People from the INDI Alliance, especially Congress leaders, repeatedly insult the Prime Minister and wish for his defeat. I support Shashi Tharoor’s statement on this. Politics may be local, but on the global stage, we are all Indians, and we must stand and fight for India’s honour. Shashi Tharoor has done exactly that.”
Meanwhile, the Congress leadership and its functionaries mounted a sharp attack on Tharoor, accusing him of remaining silent when the BJP criticises former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and levels allegations against the party, while urging the Thiruvananthapuram MP not to become a “slave” to Prime Minister Modi.
Former Congress Rajya Sabha member V. Hanumantha Rao said Tharoor should also speak up for former Prime Ministers.
“Shashi Tharoor should also speak about the former Prime Ministers. There were Prime Ministers who went to jail in the name of serving the nation, and yet are being insulted. Why doesn’t he speak about that? Those leaders were also Prime Ministers,” Rao said.
“He does not say anything when these people insult (B.R.) Ambedkar or Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Shashi Tharoor keeps mum when this happens,” he added.
Congress’ Odisha unit President Bhakta Charan Das also criticised Tharoor, despite acknowledging his intellect.
Speaking to IANS, Das said: “Shashi Tharoor is wrong, and Shashi Tharoor is acting as a sycophant. I will speak about Shashi Tharoor because I respect his intellect. We also took his political ambition democratically when he contested elections against our Congress President, (Mallikarjuna) Kharge.”
“This statement he made is his opinion, but has he ever understood what the country is actually suffering from? I request Shashi Tharoor to avoid making such statements against Congress and not become PM Modi’s slave,” Das added.