Shashi Tharoor’s refusal to represent the Congress party line during the high-profile Parliament debate on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor marks a deepening rift between him and the Congress leadership.

Sources indicate that Tharoor, who has consistently backed Operation Sindoor as a successful counter-terror action, declined the party’s offer to lead the opposition’s criticism of the government’s military response.

He maintained that he could not contradict his previous public support for the operation simply to fit party messaging, reportedly telling the leadership that he would only deliver arguments consistent with his established stance.

This episode underscores a chronic discomfort within the Congress regarding Tharoor's independent positions. The party had hoped Tharoor—a respected Parliamentarian and the head of India’s anti-terror diplomatic outreach delegation after the Pahalgam attack—would add weight to its critique of the government.

However, Tharoor's vocal approval of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's handling of the situation and his willingness to compare it favourably against previous responses by the UPA regime deepened his estrangement from party hardliners.

The decision to approach Tharoor to speak was made by senior Congress leaders, including direct outreach from Rahul Gandhi’s office and congressional whips. Tharoor, in turn, pointedly declined, signalling a “Maun Vrat” (vow of silence) when quizzed by the media, further fuelling speculation.

His refusal left the Congress scrambling to fill the void, with party leaders such as Gaurav Gogoi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stepping in to represent the opposition during the debate, while Tharoor made clear he would not challenge his own established views for the sake of internal party discipline.

This rift is not new; tensions between Tharoor and the Congress leadership have been noted since 2021, when he joined the so-called G-23—an informal group of party dissenters calling for organisational reform and a reassessment of leadership following a series of electoral setbacks.

His willingness to publicly praise Modi and the government for Operation Sindoor reignited suspicions of possible defection, though Tharoor stoutly denied plans to join the BJP, describing his differences as disagreements with certain leaders rather than a rejection of the Congress itself.

As Tharoor avoided the debate altogether, his absence clearly highlighted the ideological and strategic divisions currently plaguing the Congress. The party’s unease with a senior member who would not toe the collective line, coupled with Tharoor’s insistence on public consistency and constitutional independence, frames a complex power dynamic.

In Tharoor's words and actions, loyalty to principle continues to outweigh loyalty to party messaging—a position that both frustrates and embarrasses the Congress at a pivotal political moment.

Based On A NDTV Report