‘…in same direction’: BJP leader shares ‘mischievous’ post, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor reacts
Baijayant Jay Panda shares a flight photo with Shashi Tharoor, sparking speculation. The Congress MP clarifies he is simply traveling to the Kalinga LitFest.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Baijayant Jay Panda sparked curiosity after a photo of him with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor aboard a flight was posted on social media platform X on Friday. While Baijayant Jay Panda hinted that they were headed in the “same direction”, Shaashi Tharoor quickly clarified that he was merely travelling to Bhubaneswar to attend the Kalinga LitFest.
Panda posted the picture with Tharoor with a caption: “My friend & fellow traveler called me mischievous for saying that we seem to be finally travelling in the same direction."
In response, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram wrote: “Fellow traveller only to Bhubaneswar! I am addressing the Kalinga LitFest tomorrow morning. And coming right back!!"
The 11th edition of the Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) began in Bhubaneswar on March 21 and will run for three days, with more than 400 writers, intellectuals, and thought leaders from around the world in attendance.
Tharoor has recently drew attention for his balanced approach towards the BJP, Congress’s main rival. A photo that went viral last month featuring him with BJP leader and Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal has only intensified speculation about his future in the Congress party.
Tharoor, who shared the photo with Goyal, which also featured British secretary of state for trade Jonathan Reynolds, captioned it: “Good to exchange words with Jonathan Reynolds, Britain’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in the company of his Indian counterpart, Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal. The long-stalled FTA negotiations have been revived, which is most welcome."
Earlier this week, the Congress leader conceded that he was left with an egg on his face in opposing India's stance when the Russia-Ukraine war broke out and said due to the policy that was adopted, the country is now in a position where it can make a difference for lasting peace.
Tharoor had criticised India's stance when Russia attacked Ukraine and called for condemnation of the aggression.
The Congress MP said the policy adopted by India following the outbreak of the conflict meant that the country has actually a prime minister who can hug both the president of Ukraine and the president in Moscow two weeks apart and be accepted in both places.
During an interactive session at the Raisina Dialogue, the former minister of state for external affairs said, "I am still wiping the egg off my face because I am one person in the parliamentary debate who actually criticised the Indian position at the time back in February 2022."
The Thiruvananthapuram MP said his criticism was based on the "well-known grounds that there was a violation of the UN charter, there had been a violation of the principle of inviolability of borders, of the sovereignty of a member state namely Ukraine, and we had always stood for the inadmissibility of the use of force to settle international disputes".
(With inputs from agencies)
