Not a sign of my leaping to join BJP: Tharoor on Op Sindoor outreach column

Veteran Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said his column on Operation Sindoor's global outreach was not a sign of his "leaping to join" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but a statement of national unity, interest and standing up for India.

 

Tharoor, in a column published in The Hindu on Monday, said Modi's energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remained a "prime asset" for India on the global stage but deserved greater backing.

 

Asked about the column at an event on Tuesday, Tharoor said: "It is not a sign of my leaping to join the prime minister's party (the BJP) as some people unfortunately have been implying. It is a statement of national unity, of national interest and of standing up for India, which to my mind is fundamentally why I came back to India after 25 years of service at the UN."

 

"I did so to serve India, and I am very proud to have the opportunity to do so," Tharoor added.

 

Congress leaders criticise Tharoor

 

Tharoor's remarks were seen as likely to irk Congress party and widen cracks in his ties with its leadership.

 

"He is a member of the working committee. It is quite disgusting that a member of the working committee continues to praise the political opponent of the Congress," senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan said. 

 

Tharoor claims diplomatic success

 

Tharoor said the column was written about 'Operation Sindoor', in which he described the success of the diplomatic outreach mission.

 

"People always tend to see all this in the context of today's news. It is an article in which I describe the success of this outreach mission, which, amongst other things, showcased the unity of all parties behind the matter of vital national interest," Tharoor said.

 

"So, I said the prime minister himself has demonstrated dynamism and energy in engaging with other countries. He has travelled to more countries than any prime minister, and done so in order to take the message of India around the world," Tharoor added.

 

"And to my mind, what we all did was give his efforts that back-up by bringing to bear the strength of all of India's different political parties, backgrounds, groups, religions, and convey to the world that message that a united India stands for. Today it is a message against terrorism, tomorrow it could be a message on something else, but that backing up, I believe, is very important," he said. 

 

Differences end at borders

 

Tharoor recalled the expression used by Americans that political differences should stop at the water's edge to buttress his argument.

 

"I, too, have believed for the longest time that political differences in our democracy should stop at the borders. For us, it seems to me there is really no such thing as a BJP foreign policy or a Congress foreign policy, there is only Indian foreign policy and Indian national interest. I am not saying something new, I said this very many years ago, and I said this publicly, on the record, the very first time when I became the chairman of the External Affairs Committee back in 2014," Tharoor said.

 

Shashi Tharoor’s column praises PM

 

In the column, Tharoor said the diplomatic outreach following "Operation Sindoor" was a moment of national resolve and effective communication.

 

The Prime Minister's Office shared Tharoor's column on X.

 

Tharoor in his column said: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remains a prime asset for India on the global stage but deserves greater backing."

 

"The diplomatic outreach following 'Operation Sindoor' was a moment of national resolve and effective communication. It affirmed that India, when united, can project its voice with clarity and conviction on international platforms," said the Congress leader, who led a multi-party delegation to the US and four other countries to convey India's stand following the Pahalgam terror attack and the military operation.

 

Tharoor vs Congress

 

Tharoor's praise for the prime minister comes at a time when the Congress has been consistently attacking the Modi government over its foreign policy, alleging that Indian diplomacy is being "shattered" and the country stands "isolated" globally.

 

Following the Pahalgam attack, Tharoor has been making comments on the India-Pakistan conflict and the diplomatic outreach that are at variance with the stand of the Congress.

 

The Congress has been questioning the government over US President Donald Trump's claims of mediating a ceasefire between the two countries.

 

He has often drawn criticism from his party and jibes aimed at him by Congress leaders for his stand.

 

The delegation, led by Tharoor, visited the US on the last leg of a multi-nation tour to brief key interlocutors about Operation Sindoor, a precise military attack on the terror bases located in Pakistan, following the terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians.

 

The delegation was one of the seven multi-party delegations India had tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community to emphasise Pakistan's links to terrorism.