This is how democracy should work: Tharoor on Trump-Mamdani meet

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who has been needling the party, repeated himself on Saturday as he sent a veiled message to “bury the political hatchet after elections conclude”.

In a post on X, Tharoor mentioned a cordial meeting between US President Donald Trump and the New York Mayor designate Zohran Mamdani, and said this was how democracy should work.

“This is how democracy should work. Fight passionately for your point of view in elections, with no rhetorical holds barred. But once it’s over, and the people have spoken, learn to cooperate with each other in the common interests of the nation you are both pledged to serve. I would love to see more of this in India — and am trying to do my part,” said the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, who has in the past criticised dynasticism within the grand old party and the Indian politics in general.

The BJP used Tharoor’s post to take a dig at the Congress, asking whether the Congress would get the message.

“Perhaps this is a real cryptic message to the Congress that it must get out of the emergency mindset and behave like a mature Opposition. But will Rahul Gandhi get the message? No, he might in fact get another fatwa issued against Tharoor,” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said.

He added that Tharoor had again reminded the Congress that they should put national interests above family interests and behave democratically rather than as sore losers after elections.