Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s recent public remarks, including his critical reflections on the Emergency period and his views on India’s diplomatic strategy, have drawn pointed responses from within the party, signalling internal differences over both tone and substance.
In his latest opinion pieces, one in Project Syndicate and another in Malayalam daily Deepika — Tharoor described the 1975–77 Emergency as a “dark period” and cited “unspeakable atrocities” committed during that time. He referred directly to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi, highlighting forced sterilisation drives, slum demolitions and suppression of fundamental rights as key failings of that era.
Tharoor also argued that the Emergency should serve as a cautionary example for democracies today and warned against the centralisation of power and erosion of institutional checks.
His interpretation has not gone uncontested. Congress leaders have privately expressed concern over what they view as a narrative that closely aligns with long-standing critiques by the BJP, which has frequently used the Emergency to target the Congress. While the party has not issued a formal rebuttal, Congress MP Manickam Tagore appeared to indirectly respond to Tharoor on X, writing: “When a colleague starts repeating BJP lines word for word, you begin to wonder: is the Bird becoming a parrot? Mimicry is cute in birds, not in politics.”
Though the post did not name Tharoor, it came shortly after his Emergency article was published and was widely interpreted as a comment on the Thiruvananthapuram MP’s stance.
This exchange follows a similar social media episode last month, when Tharoor posted an image of a bird along with the caption: “Don't ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one.” The message was read as a response to growing internal criticism towards him. Tagore replied the next day with a metaphor warning of “hawks, vultures and eagles” targeting free birds.
Party unease with Tharoor has been building over the past few weeks. His comments on the India-Pakistan conflict and his leadership of a delegation to present the government’s position on Operation Sindoor were also seen as deviating from the party’s established positions. These moves drew quiet but clear disapproval from party insiders, who have repeatedly stressed that Tharoor’s statements are made in his personal capacity and do not reflect the Congress’s official stand.
Congress leaders have so far stopped short of making direct public statements against Tharoor, but the repeated use of indirect jabs and distancing language has made the party’s discomfort apparent.
Tharoor, for his part, has maintained that his writings aim to foster historical introspection and defend democratic values. However, as his public messaging continues to differ from the party line on sensitive issues, the gap between his independent stance and the Congress’s collective position has grown more visible..