‘Crossing all limits’: Congress slams Shashi Tharoor for backing PM's diplomacy

The Congress on Saturday took on its own leader Shashi Tharoor over his remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s G7 references to the safety of Indian sailors, saying the Kerala MP’s admiration for the PM appears to have transcended the limitations of the physical world.

“He (Tharoor) now seems capable of hearing what Modi doesn't even say,” Congress leader Pawan Khera said after Tharoor backed the PM’s stress on the safety of Indian sailors at the G7 meeting in contrast to party leader Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the government.

Addressing the press on Saturday, Khera said he had not seen Tharoor’s statement but he had also not seen a mention of the killing of three Indian sailors by the United States in the Gulf of Oman in the joint India-US statement or the challenging of Trump’s repeated claim on halting Operation Sindoor or the attack on Iranian frigate IRIS Dena.

After Khera questioned him, Tharoor said it was unfortunate that the matter of safety of Indian sailors should be seen from a partisan lens. He said, “Frankly, I find it extraordinary that a statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors is being twisted into a partisan political controversy.

“Three Indians lost their lives. My remarks were about the safety of our citizens and the principle that civilian seafarers should never be targets of military action. If some people are more interested in scoring political points than addressing that concern, that says more about them than it does about me. Concern for Indian lives should unite us, not divide us,” Tharoor added.

As Congress leaders sparred, BJP’s Pradeep Bhandari said Tharoor’s open praise for the PM had exposed Rahul Gandhi.

“Tharoor has exposed Rahul. Congress leaders are openly praising PM Modi’s diplomacy…When it comes to protecting India’s national interest, Rahul leaves everyone behind,” Bhandari said.