Last Updated:May 15, 2025, 16:07 IST

Shashi Tharoor’s criticism came in his presence at the CWC meeting, which also saw the attendance of Rahul Gandhi, K C Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Priyanka Gandhi, and others.

Shashi Tharoor’s repeated out-of-line comments show that the top Congress leadership is weak and unable to rein in descending voices. (PTI)

With senior party leader Shashi Tharoor crossing the “Lakshman Rekha” by deviating from party line on Operation Sindoor and subsequent ceasefire announcement, the Congress has reportedly pulled up the Thiruvananthapuram MP saying that it is not the time to air individual views but to amplify the party’s official stand.

During the Congress Working Committee meeting, which was held to discuss the situation following ceasefire announcement and related developments, including US President Donald Trump announcing the cessation of the conflict between India and Pakistan, Ramesh referred to Tharoor’s statements that were in deviance with party line, news agency PTI reported.

While asked about Tharoor’s comments in recent interviews being at odds with the party’s stand saying that India would never allow third-party mediation in its bilateral issues with Pakistan, senior party leader Jairam Ramesh replied, “It is his opinion. When Tharoor sahab speaks, it is not the party’s opinion.”

The opposition, which backed the Centre in its action against cross-border linkages in the Pahalgam terror attack, has now questioned the government on what led to the ceasefire and questioned what role the US played in it. The opposition has been requesting an all-party meeting to question the government regarding Trump’s claims that his administration helped broker a “ceasefire” between India and Pakistan.

However, the Thiruvananthapuram MP came out in praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he has handled it “extremely well”.

Recently, he expressed disappointment at Trump’s post on the announcement of halting military hostilities between India and Pakistan, saying, the narrative offers Pakistan a negotiating framework which it certainly has not earned. He had also opined that Trump making such an announcement “is disappointing for India in four important ways”, as it “internationalises” the Kashmir dispute, which is an obvious objective of the terrorists.

Tharoor recently grabbed headlines for his comments with his critics saying he has become an effective spokesperson of the government. “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,” he had said.

BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya praised Tharoor and latched on to Ramesh’s remarks to target the Congress.

“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 said in a post on X.

“Yet, the coterie around Rahul Gandhi – currently running the affairs of the Congress party – seems unwilling to acknowledge one of their senior-most MP, who even ran for the Congress president’s post not too long ago. What a pity. This is what happens when small men, with an exaggerated sense of self-importance, come to occupy high offices in politically irrelevant parties,” he added.

However, a section of senior party leaders felt that Tharoor has crossed “Lakshman Rekha” this time. Lakshman Rekha, a metaphor originating in Ramayana, loosely means “boundary”, the news agency reported citing the sources.

Tharoor’s criticism came in his presence at the CWC meeting, which also saw the attendance of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Sachin Pilot, Randeep Surjewala Mukul Wasnik, P Chidambaram, and Ambika Soni.

“We are a democratic party and people keep expressing their opinions, but this time, Tharoor has crossed the lakshman rekha,” a senior party leader said after the meeting. The party sources said, without naming anyone, a “clear message” was sent during the meeting that this is not a time for airing individual views but for amplifying the party’s stand.

(With inputs from agencies)

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