Hours after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took a swipe at party leader Shashi Tharoor over his repeated praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Thiruvananthapuram MP on Wednesday appeared to respond with a pointed post on X.
Sharing a photo of a bird in flight, Tharoor wrote, "Don’t ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one."
The message was widely seen as a subtle reply to the jibes from his party colleagues amid growing tensions within the Congress.
Earlier today, weighing in on the controversy over sTharoor’s recent praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge delivered a sharp rebuke, saying, "It’s country first for us, but for some people, it’s Modi first." This marks the strongest public snub yet from the party leadership directed at Tharoor.
The criticism comes in the wake of Tharoor’s article published in The Hindu, where he described Prime Minister Modi’s energy, dynamism, and global engagement as a “prime asset” for India that deserved broader support. His remarks, made after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, sparked internal criticism and further strained his ties with the Congress leadership. Several party colleagues had already expressed displeasure, accusing Tharoor of deviating from the party’s line.
Responding to the growing speculation, Tharoor, while attending an event in Moscow, clarified that his article should not be seen as a sign of him “leaping to join” the BJP. He insisted his statements were driven by national interest and a call for unity.
The Congress, however, distanced itself from Tharoor’s views. Party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said on Monday that Tharoor’s remarks were personal and not reflective of the Congress's official stance. "It may be his own opinion; it is not the opinion of the Congress party. We have presented our views with evidence and proof,” she said.
Addressing the issue today, Kharge took a subtle swipe at Tharoor’s eloquence. “He is very fluent in English. I can’t read English well. His language is very good. That’s why we made him a member of the Congress Working Committee,” he remarked.
Kharge further pointed out that in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 innocent lives, the entire Opposition had stood firmly with the Army. "We said the country comes first, the party later. But some people feel Modi comes first, the country later. What can we do?” he said.
Tharoor’s remarks and Kharge’s sharp response reflect the growing discomfort within the Congress over internal dissent and public praise for the Prime Minister at a time when the party has been aggressively challenging the government.