Staff Reporter / New Delhi, June 25, 2025
A recent opinion piece by Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor, published in The Hindu on June 23, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ignited a fresh round of political friction within the Congress on Wednesday. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge quickly weighed in, asserting that for his party, the nation’s interests unequivocally precede those of any individual.
“For our party, the country comes first. But for some others, Modi comes first and the country later,” Kharge said at a press conference in New Delhi, when asked about Tharoor’s article published in The Hindu on June 23. The Congress chief’s remarks came during a media briefing organized to counter the BJP’s campaign marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency imposed in 1975.
In his article, Tharoor had acknowledged Modi’s “energy and dynamism” as an asset for India on the global stage, a comment that stood in sharp contrast to the Congress’s ongoing critique of the Modi government. Tharoor’s remarks, coming amid heightened political tension around the Emergency anniversary and the Congress’s Samvidhan Bachao Yatra, added to growing signs of ideological divergence within the party ranks.
Kharge, attempting to temper his criticism, added, “I am not very proficient in English, but Tharoor’s language is very good — that’s why he is in the Congress Working Committee.” However, the underlying disapproval was clear. “The entire Opposition stood by our soldiers in Pahalgam. I was the first to say — country first, party later. But some seem to say Modi first, and only then the country.”
Tharoor, without naming Kharge directly, responded cryptically on social media platform X. He posted an image of a bird in flight, with the caption: “Don’t ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to none.” The poetic retort was seen by many as a subtle assertion of independence and a defence of his nuanced political approach.
This latest episode reflects a growing pattern of public disagreement between Tharoor and the Congress high command. While the Modi government recently appointed Tharoor to lead one of seven all-party delegations for international outreach following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, the Congress leadership chose not to nominate him. Tharoor nevertheless accepted the government’s invitation and led the delegation to South America and the United States — a move interpreted by some within the party as a breach of discipline.
Tharoor has since clarified that while he has “differences of opinion” with certain members of the Congress leadership, he remains committed to the party’s broader goals. Still, his continued praise for the Prime Minister — especially at a time when the Congress is rallying to protect constitutional values under threat — has sparked debate about ideological clarity and internal cohesion within the party.