Shashi Tharoor’s ‘Resilient Democracy’ Remark Triggers Political Exchange Between Congress And BJP
Congress backs Tharoor’s democracy remark as BJP criticises his political stance.
Congress on Friday defended party MP Shashi Tharoor’s remarks on the resilience of India’s democratic system amid recent Gen Z-led protests, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised his political perspective. The exchange followed Tharoor’s observation that India’s democratic system had “bent, didn’t break” while dealing with youth-led protests.
Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe backed Tharoor’s assessment and attributed India’s strong democratic institutions to the Congress party’s contribution over the decades. He argued that institutions including the judiciary, bureaucracy and other constitutional and investigative bodies had continued to function despite what he described as attempts to weaken them.
Londhe also linked the ability of young people to protest and express dissent to the strength of India’s democratic framework. He maintained that the response of students demonstrated that public participation and democratic institutions remained important avenues for expressing disagreement.
Also Read: Congress Calls For Comprehensive Operation Sindoor Review After Ex-CDS Remarks
The BJP, however, took a different view of Tharoor’s comments. BJP MP Dinesh Sharma criticised the Congress leader’s perspective, remarking that Tharoor “stays among the communists in Kerala”. Sharma also linked the BJP’s approach towards young people with various government initiatives launched since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014.
Sharma cited programmes including Startup India, Stand-Up India, Make in India and Digital India as initiatives aimed at creating opportunities and supporting young people. He also referred to Gen Z as a generation whose development remains an important focus for the BJP and said the party continues to work for young people associated with its broader organisational ecosystem.
Tharoor had made his comments while speaking at the NDTV World Anviksha Summit on Thursday, where he compared youth-led political movements across South Asia. He noted that countries including Pakistan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India have witnessed significant protests involving young people in recent years, with differences emerging in how political systems and establishments responded to those movements.
Also Read: Congress Cites NITI Aayog Report On 8.7 Crore Youth Outside Education, Jobs
