‘Maunvrat’: Shashi Tharoor refuses to toe Congress line on Operation Sindoor

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has turned down a request from the party leadership to participate in a discussion on ‘Operation Sindoor’ in Lok Sabha, the party sources said on Monday.

As per party sources, the Congress leadership had approached Tharoor to participate in the Lok Sabha debate on Operation Sindoor. However, Tharoor reportedly declined, stating that he could not toe the party line by criticising the government on the issue.

Tharoor is learnt to have made it clear that he views ‘Operation Sindoor’ as a success and that his stance on the matter remains unchanged. He conveyed that if he were to speak in the House, he would reiterate this position, said a party source.

According to Congress sources, Tharoor was contacted by the office of the Leader of Opposition/Deputy Leader's office to speak on Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha. However, Tharoor said that he will speak what he has been saying till now and cannot deviate from it. He also said that he found Operation Sindoor a success, and he will say the same thing. Since he was instructed to align with the party’s critical position on the issue, he ultimately chose not to speak in the debate.

As Tharoor arrived in the Parliament today, he refused to comment on questions posed to him, while just giving a cryptic two-word response, "Maunvrat, Maunvrat."

Tharoor, who led an all-party delegation to the US to highlight India's counter-terrorism efforts following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, came under fire from some Congress leaders for his stance seemingly supporting BJP's narrative on Operation Sindoor.

The internal discomfort in Congress grew further when Tharoor was chosen to lead the delegation in support of Operation Sindoor. His public remarks — notably drawing a contrast between the Modi government's actions and earlier UPA-era surgical strikes — were seen as controversial and angered several Congress leaders.

Despite criticism, Tharoor stood by his statements, accusing "critics and trolls" of twisting his words and dismissing the outrage as orchestrated. He insisted he had "better things to do" than respond to manufactured controversies.

While Tharoor denies any formal rift with the Congress leadership, he has admitted to having differing views and approaches. He continues to express loyalty to the party, yet his increasingly independent stance has often clashed with the party’s central narrative, placing him in a politically delicate position.