Congress MP Shashi Tharoor questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to skip the high-profile Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit in Egypt — a global gathering aimed at brokering a lasting truce in the Israel-Gaza conflict. The summit, hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and co-chaired by US President Donald Trump, has drawn world leaders from over 20 nations, including Palestine’s Mahmoud Abbas and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Despite India being invited to the forum, the country will instead be represented by junior External Affairs Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh, a move Tharoor suggested may be seen internationally as a signal of disengagement. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the seasoned diplomat and former junior foreign minister wondered aloud: “Strategic restraint or missed opportunity?” expressing puzzlement over the Prime Minister’s choice to skip a summit focused on regional security and peace in India’s extended neighbourhood.
“This is no reflection on Kirti Vardhan Singh, whose competence is not in question,” Tharoor clarified. “But, given the galaxy of grandees present, India’s choice could be seen as signaling a preference for strategic distance that our statements don’t convey.” His comments underscore concerns among diplomats that India’s absence at such a crucial forum could dilute its diplomatic visibility in West Asia at a time when the global focus is on peace-building in the war-torn region.
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The Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit, taking place in Egypt’s Red Sea resort city, comes amid renewed hope for stability in Gaza. Earlier in the day, Hamas freed 20 hostages—seven handed over to the Red Cross and 13 to local intermediaries—while Israel simultaneously released Palestinian detainees from prisons in the West Bank. The dual exchange has raised expectations for progress, with Trump touting the deal as a “milestone” achieved through his mediation.
Tharoor’s remarks, however, have sparked a separate storm within his own party. Once counted among the Congress’s intellectual voices, the Thiruvananthapuram MP’s relationship with the party has grown tense, particularly since he joined the G-23 dissident group that questioned the Gandhis’ leadership in 2021. His recent positive comments about Prime Minister Modi’s governance and global image have further irritated Congress leadership, with insiders viewing his statements as straying from the party line.
The unease deepened after Tharoor’s praise of Modi’s “dynamism” during a diplomatic briefing to partner nations on Operation Sindoor and other foreign policy initiatives. Party loyalists reportedly viewed this as undermining the opposition’s stance, though Tharoor has repeatedly stressed his remarks were about India’s diplomatic strength, not partisan politics. “It is not a sign of my leaping to join the Prime Minister’s party,” he told NDTV, dismissing speculation about a shift to the BJP.
Despite internal friction, Tharoor insists his loyalty to Congress remains intact, emphasizing that differences of opinion are natural in a democratic setup. “These are merely differences with some elements of the leadership, not with the party or its ideology,” he explained. Having served the Congress for 16 years, the parliamentarian maintains that constructive criticism should not be mistaken for rebellion.
Still, his latest query about India’s diplomatic choices—particularly the Prime Minister’s absence from a summit attended by top global leaders—has once again placed him at the intersection of foreign policy debate and party politics. Whether Tharoor’s words are viewed as an act of introspection or insubordination, one thing is clear: his voice continues to unsettle both Delhi’s diplomatic circles and his own political camp.
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