Shashi Tharoor "No Longer One of Us!" Congress In-Fighting Is Now Open Brawl
Shashi Tharoor Branded ‘Outsider’ by Congress Leader, Exposing Deep Party Rift
The simmering tensions within the Congress party erupted into the open on Sunday as senior Kerala leader K. Muraleedharan declared that Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor is “no longer one of us,” barring him from party events in the state capital until he aligns with the party’s stance on national security.
Speaking to reporters in Chomu, Muraleedharan’s sharp rebuke, accused Tharoor of straying from Congress’s line, particularly over his support for the central government’s actions following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
Muraleedharan, a prominent figure in Kerala’s Congress unit, stated, “Till he changes his stance, we will not invite him to any party programme in Thiruvananthapuram. He is not with us,” signaling a deepening divide.
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The controversy stems from Tharoor’s leadership of an all-party delegation to global capitals like Washington and Tokyo, where he articulated India’s anti-terrorism stance, often echoing the BJP-led government’s narrative. His comments praising the 2016 surgical strikes and 2019 Balakot airstrike, as well as his defense of PM Modi’s policies, have irked party colleagues, with Congress leader Udit Raj labeling him a “super spokesperson for the BJP.”
Tharoor, a four-term MP and Congress Working Committee member, has faced criticism for his independent streak, including his praise for Modi’s foreign policy and Kerala’s LDF government’s startup ecosystem. His recent article criticizing Indira Gandhi’s role in the Emergency further fueled tensions, with Congress MP Manickam Tagore comparing him to a “parrot” mimicking BJP lines.
Tharoor, however, remains defiant, asserting that “the nation comes first” and that advocating for national interest shouldn’t be seen as disloyalty. At a Kochi event, he noted, “When leaders like me call for cross-party cooperation on national security, our own parties view it as disloyalty, which is a big problem.”
Analysts suggest Tharoor’s maverick stance—evident since his 2022 Congress presidential run against Mallikarjun Kharge and his G-23 reform push—makes him a misfit in Kerala’s faction-ridden Congress unit.
With the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections looming, his exclusion from local events could weaken Congress’s urban appeal, though his eloquence and global stature remain assets, as noted by political commentator MG Radhakrishnan. Whether Tharoor will mend ties or explore “other options” like writing and lectures, as he hinted in a February 2025 podcast, remains unclear. For now, the Congress rift is wide open, and Tharoor’s next move could reshape his political legacy.
Also Read: Shashi Tharoor Illuminates India’s Democratic Legacy and Future in UK Lectures
