Mani Shankar Aiyar Labels Pawan Khera 'Puppet'; Accuses Tharoor of Foreign Minister Ambition
Mani Shankar Aiyar calls Pawan Khera a puppet and claims Shashi Tharoor seeks the foreign minister role in a sharp interview.
Veteran Congress Leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has once again stirred controversy within the party after making sharp remarks about several senior colleagues, including Shashi Tharoor, Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera, in a recent interview.
In the interview, Aiyar described Khera as a “puppet” and questioned his role as a party spokesperson. He said if the Congress could not find anyone other than Khera to represent it, the party would remain in its current condition. The remarks have added to tensions within the party, which has already distanced itself from Aiyar’s recent public statements.
Aiyar also cast doubt on the Congress’s prospects in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, claiming internal divisions could hurt the party. “I want the Congress to win, but I don’t believe it will because Congress leaders are divided. They hate each other more than they hate the Communists,” he said, highlighting what he sees as factionalism within the state unit.
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Taking aim at Tharoor, the four-time Thiruvananthapuram MP, Aiyar suggested the leader harbours ambitions of becoming India’s next foreign minister and described him as “anti-Pakistan”. He also made a brief remark about Ramesh, saying the Congress communications chief “has to keep his job.”
The latest comments come amid ongoing controversy over Aiyar’s earlier praise for Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The Congress has publicly distanced itself, with Khera stating on social media that Aiyar has had no connection with the party for the past few years and speaks only in his personal capacity.
Responding to the broader political narrative, Ramesh maintained confidence in the Congress-led United Democratic Front’s chances in Kerala, asserting that voters would back the alliance for “more responsible and responsive governance.” The episode has once again exposed visible strains within the party ahead of the crucial state polls.
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