Shashi Tharoor’s X Post with Piyush Goyal and Jonathan Reynolds Sparks Online Buzz
Tharoor's post on X featuring a photograph of himself alongside Union Minister Piyush Goyal and British Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds stirred debate.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor stirred online chatter with a post on X featuring a photograph of himself alongside Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and British Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds.
The image, timestamped at 9:00 a.m., captured the trio smiling during a discussion on the revived India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations. Tharoor’s caption read: “Good to exchange words with Jonathan Reynolds, Britain’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in the company of his Indian counterpart, Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. The long-stalled FTA negotiations have been revived, which is most welcome.”
The post, which amassed thousands of likes and retweets by 11:33 AM IST, comes at a time when Tharoor’s relationship with the Congress party has been under scrutiny following his recent comments praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and highlighting a leadership “vacuum” in Kerala’s Congress unit. The cheerful demeanor of Tharoor and Goyal, political adversaries from the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), respectively, has fueled speculation about potential cross-party collaboration or a subtle shift in Tharoor’s political stance.
The talks, held on the sidelines of a broader diplomatic engagement, signal a thaw in the long-delayed India-UK FTA, stalled since 2022 over issues such as tariff reductions and immigration policies. Sources indicate the meeting focused on accelerating progress, with both nations eyeing a deal by mid-2025 to boost trade, currently valued at $50 billion annually. Goyal, known for his assertive trade diplomacy, has prioritised this pact as part of India’s economic outreach, while Reynolds, appointed in July 2024 under the UK’s Labour government, brings fresh momentum to the table.
Tharoor’s involvement in the discussion, though not official, underscores his stature as a seasoned diplomat-turned-politician with a keen interest in international affairs. His presence alongside Goyal, a figure he’s clashed with in the past, notably over Goyal’s 2018 quip about not understanding Tharoor’s “foreign accent”, adds an intriguing layer to the narrative. In 2020, Tharoor mocked Goyal’s push to export Kolhapuri slippers, calling it a policy “flip-flop,” a jab Goyal didn’t directly counter. Today’s photo suggests a rare moment of camaraderie, prompting some on X to wonder if trade talks might bridge their ideological divide.
Reactions online have been swift and varied. Supporters of Tharoor praised his diplomatic finesse, with one user noting, “Shashi brings a global perspective, good to see him in the mix.” BJP-leaning accounts, however, seized on the image to question his loyalty to Congress, with comments such as, “Tharoor smiling with Goyal while his party flounders - where’s his allegiance?” Others saw it as a pragmatic move, with a trending sentiment on X suggesting, “Trade doesn’t care about party lines; this is India-first teamwork.”
The timing amplifies the buzz. Just days ago, Tharoor deflected questions about a rift with Congress, cryptically telling reporters, “If the party wants me, I’ll be there. If not, I have my own things to do.” His praise for Modi’s negotiation skills after a U.S. statement earlier this month had already irked party colleagues, making this public alignment with Goyal a focal point for speculation about his future.
Neither Tharoor nor Goyal has commented further as yet, but the Commerce Ministry confirmed the talks with Reynolds aim to resolve sticking points like market access for Indian goods and UK demands on intellectual property. For now, the image of Tharoor and Goyal together stands as a striking footnote to a diplomatic breakthrough, one that’s as much about trade as it is about the unpredictable currents of Indian politics.
