New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday took a swipe at party colleague Shashi Tharoor over the latter’s recent praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that his party believed in “country first” but it was “Modi first and country later” for “some people”.
Kharge’s remarks came days after Tharoor in a newspaper article on Monday said PM Modi’s energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remained a “prime asset” for India on the global stage but deserved greater backing.
“I can’t read English well. His (Tharoor’s) language is very good, that’s why we have made him a Congress Working Committee (party’s apex body) member,” the Congress chief told reporters, when asked about Tharoor’s article.
Over the last few months, Tharoor has repeatedly defied party lines to back the PM Modi-led government on key policy issues. He has often drawn criticism from his party and jibes aimed at him by Congress leaders for his stand.
In his article earlier this week, Tharoor said the diplomatic outreach following Operation Sindoor — India’s military action on terror infrastructure in Pakistan in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives — was a moment of national resolve and effective communication.
The Congress distanced itself from Tharoor’s remarks, dubbing them as the party MP’s personal opinion. However, Kharge’s snipe at Tharoor, who had contested against the former in the Congress presidential polls in 2022, indicate the party will not tolerate such deviations from its senior lawmaker, who is also a former Union minister, CWC member and a chairman of the external affairs committee of Parliament.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress distanced itself from Tharoor’s remarks, dubbing them as the party MP’s personal opinion. However, Kharge’s snipe at Tharoor, who had contested against the former in the Congress presidential polls in 2022, indicate the party will not tolerate such deviations from its senior lawmaker, who is also a former Union minister, CWC member and a chairman of the external affairs committee of Parliament.
{{/usCountry}}Kharge further recalled the Opposition’s united support to the government and the armed forces in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. “We (the Congress) said ‘country first, party later’. Some people say ‘Modi first, country later’. What can we do?” he added.
Hours after Kharge’s remarks, Tharoor put out a cryptic post on X. He posted a picture of a bird with the caption: “Don’t ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one.”