Sat May 17 08:59:04 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
The BJP has questioned the Congress party’s decision not to include Shashi Tharoor, a Congress MP, in their official list of recommendations for a diplomatic outreach program. This follows the Centre’s decision to include Tharoor in the program after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. The BJP highlights Tharoor’s international credentials and oratory skills, suggesting that the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi may be sidelining him due to insecurity or jealousy. Jairam Ramesh of Congress stated that Tharoor’s views are his own and do not reflect the party’s official stance. This debate comes as Tharoor has been chosen by the government to lead an all-party delegation to key global capitals to present India’s position on the matter, while also defending India’s aggressive posture, which has reportedly caused discomfort within his own party.
**News Article:**
**BJP Questions Congress’s Treatment of Shashi Tharoor Amid Diplomatic Role**
**New Delhi, May 18, 2025** – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has publicly questioned the Congress party’s stance on its MP, Shashi Tharoor, amidst his inclusion in a central government diplomatic outreach program. The move follows the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent military operation against Pakistan, code-named Operation Sindoor.
BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya highlighted Tharoor’s “eloquence, long experience as a United Nations official, and his deep insights on matters of foreign policy,” questioning why Congress, particularly Rahul Gandhi, did not nominate him for the multi-party delegations.
The controversy arose after it was revealed that Tharoor’s name was not on the official list of Congress’s recommendations for the diplomatic outreach, which prompted Malviya to suggest that Congress leadership might be insecure or jealous of Tharoor’s abilities.
In response, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh stated that any conversation Kiren Rijiju had with Congress leaders would have been after a government decision.
Despite the apparent cold shoulder from his own party, Tharoor has been selected by the central government to lead one of seven all-party delegations to key global capitals, aiming to present a united Indian front in the wake of the Pahalgam attack and counter Pakistan on Kashmir and cross-border terrorism. The Parliamentary Affairs Ministry emphasized the government’s choice of “articulate voices across party lines” to project India’s national consensus on combating terrorism.
Tharoor accepted the invitation to lead the delegation, stating, “When national interest is involved, and my services are required, I will not be found wanting.”
However, Tharoor’s public alignment with the Centre’s aggressive posture following the Pahalgam attack has reportedly caused friction within the Congress party. Jairam Ramesh acknowledged that Tharoor’s recent comments did not reflect the party’s official stance.
The situation raises questions about the internal dynamics within Congress and the party’s approach to foreign policy, especially when its members work alongside the government to support India on key issues.
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