Is Shashi Tharoor’s breakup with Congress inevitable?

The cracks between Shashi Tharoor and the Congress are out within the open. The Thiruvananthapuram MP has been within the line of fireplace since his unfettered assist to the Central authorities led by the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP) on Operation Sindoor, the retaliatory navy strikes by India in opposition to Pakistan within the wake of the Pahalgam terror assault.

Now, Tharoor has irked his get together from overseas. His remarks that India crossed the Line of Management (LoC) for the primary time in September 2016 underneath the BJP-led Centre haven’t sat effectively with the Grand Previous Social gathering, which has countered his statements.

The disappointment between Tharoor and the Congress has emerged publicly lately. As speculations in regards to the former diplomat’s future within the get together rise, will he bounce ship to the BJP?

Let’s take a more in-depth look.

Tharoor, who’s main one of many seven all-party delegations despatched overseas to place forth India’s stand on terrorism, has stirred a row together with his feedback in Panama.

Talking about terrorism emanating from Pakistan at an Indian diaspora occasion, the Congress MP mentioned, “What has modified lately is that the terrorists have additionally realised they may have a worth to pay… For the primary time, India breached the LoC (Line of Management) between India and Pakistan to conduct a surgical strike on a terror base, a launch pad… (after) the Uri strike in September 2016. That was one thing we had not completed earlier than. Even throughout the Kargil Warfare, we had not crossed the LoC.”

He additionally talked about the Balakot strikes by India after the 2019 Pulwama terror assault. “We not solely crossed the LoC, we additionally crossed the worldwide border (IB) and struck a terrorist headquarters. This time (in Operation Sindoor), we went past each of these… We struck within the Punjabi heartland of Pakistan.”

The Congress has maintained that surgical strikes have been additionally carried out throughout the UPA authorities, however weren’t publicised.

An RTI reply by the Director Common of Army Operations (DGMO) had, nevertheless, mentioned: “Military doesn’t have any information pertaining to surgical strikes if carried out earlier than September 29, 2016.”

CCing Tharoor on X, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera shared a media report of S Jaishankar, the then international secretary, telling a parliamentary committee in October 2016 that “target-specific, limited-calibre, counter-terrorist operations” had been carried out by the Military throughout the LoC prior to now too.

Udit Raj, a Congress spokesperson, additionally took a jibe at Tharoor by asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make the chief a “tremendous spokesperson of the BJP”.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju got here to Tharoor’s defence, calling Congress’ response “political desperation”.

What does the Congress get together need & How a lot they actually look after the nation? Ought to the Indian MPs go to international nation and communicate in opposition to India and its Prime Minister?
There’s restrict to political desperation! https://t.co/JiuYqpW2tN

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) Could 28, 2025

Because the row escalated, Tharoor took to X on Thursday (Could 29) to make clear his remarks, saying he was “clearly and explicitly talking solely about reprisals for terrorist assaults and never about earlier wars”.

Concentrating on “critics and trolls”, he wrote that his remarks have been “preceded by reference to the a number of assaults which have taken place lately alone, throughout which earlier Indian responses have been each restrained and constrained by our accountable respect for the LoC and the IB.”

After an extended and profitable day in Panama, i’ve to wind up at midnightvhere with departure for Bogota, Colombia in six hours, so I don’t actually have time for this — however anyway: For these zealots fulminating about my supposed ignorance of Indian valour throughout the LoC: in tge…

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) Could 29, 2025

Hours after his tweet, Khera shared a web page from Tharoor’s e-book The Paradoxical Prime Minister, highlighting the traces the place he accused the BJP authorities of utilizing surgical strikes as a “political software”.

I agree with that Dr @ShashiTharoor who wrote about surgical strikes in his e-book in 2018 – ‘The Paradoxical Prime Minister’. #ReadingNow pic.twitter.com/hAhsfwH0JT

— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) Could 29, 2025

‘Rift’ between Tharoor, Congress

Tensions have been more and more seen between Tharoor and the Congress since his all-out defence of the BJP authorities on Operation Sindoor and the ceasefire announcement between India and Pakistan after 4 days of navy motion.

As per a Frontline report, there’s a basic feeling inside the Congress that Tharoor has crossed the “Lakshman Rekha” this time. The Congress’ central management is sad with the Thiruvananthapuram MP over what it perceives as straying from the get together’s cautious stance on the operation.

Earlier, the Congress publicly expressed its displeasure over the
Centre selecting Tharoor
as head of one of many multi-party delegations visiting international capitals post-Operation Sindoor.

Aside from Anand Sharma, the federal government rejected different names prompt by the Congress for the worldwide outreach.

Praising Modi after the ceasefire with Pakistan, Tharoor had mentioned that the PM dealt with the battle between “extraordinarily effectively”.

His utterances in favour of the Modi authorities’s selections and the Left Democratic Entrance (LDF) authorities in Kerala have hit a nerve with the Congress.

The United Democratic Entrance (UDF), led by the Grand Previous Social gathering, is looking for to unseat the LDF within the 2026 Kerala Meeting polls.

In February, Tharoor raised murmurs about his political future after saying he had “different choices”. Affirming his loyalty to the Congress, he sought a bigger function in get together affairs. “Some in my very own get together oppose me, however I communicate for India and Kerala’s future…If the get together needs to utilise my strengths, I’ll be there. If not, I’ve different choices,” he mentioned.

This sparked rumours in regards to the chief switching to the BJP. His selfie with Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who had beforehand mocked Tharoor’s “international accent”, additional fuelled the speculations.

Nonetheless, the MP from Kerala later clarified that by “choices”, he didn’t imply becoming a member of the BJP.

Tharoor didn’t win any factors with the get together’s high brass by publicly talking a couple of management vacuum within the Kerala Congress. The transfer was seen as him pitching himself because the chief ministerial candidate for the polls subsequent yr.

The rising chasm prompted a closed-door assembly between Tharoor and Rahul Gandhi.

Tharoor’s relationship with the Congress high brass has plunged because the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. After the Grand Previous Social gathering’s drubbing, he was among the many G-23 group of leaders questioning the Gandhi household’s management.

Tharoor additionally contested the elections for the Congress President put up in 2022 in opposition to Mallikarjun Kharge, who was extensively believed to be the official candidate. This additional uncovered the space between him and the Gandhis.

Whereas the Congress get together appointed Tharoor for different posts after he
misplaced the election
, the narrative that he was being “sidelined” continued to dominate.

Now, the get together is not hiding its chagrin at him.

Will Tharoor exit Congress?

The thrill round Tharoor leaving Congress has gained steam once more. Nonetheless, a buddy of Tharoor has claimed that the Thiruvananthapuram MP wouldn’t depart the get together.

“He has been a Congress MP ever since he entered politics. He’s now in his fourth time period. He’s wildly in style within the literary circuit. If the get together doesn’t faucet into his potential, he’ll slowly transfer away from get together politics and keep as a public mental,” he advised Frontline.

Whereas Tharoor has beforehand dismissed claims about becoming a member of the BJP, that is Indian politics. And as they are saying — By no means say by no means.

With inputs from companies