Shashi Tharoor Controversy: Pawan Khera counters Shashi Tharoor by citing his book on surgical strikes

The Congress leadership expressed displeasure after Shashi Tharoor’s statement on surgical strike. Meanwhile, the controversy has deepened further. Read more on Dynamite News

New Delhi: During a multilateral event held in Panama, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor praised the recent steps taken by India against terrorism, reports Dynamite News correspondent.

He cited the surgical strike after the 2016 Uri attack and the 2019 Balakot airstrike, stating that these actions have sent a clear message to terrorists that India will no longer remain silent and will respond appropriately.

Tharoor also said that this was the first time that India took direct action by crossing the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border, indicating the historic and unprecedented nature of these military operations. This statement of Tharoor caused a stir within the Congress party.

I agree with that Dr @ShashiTharoor who wrote about surgical strikes in his book in 2018 - ‘The Paradoxical Prime Minister’. #ReadingNow pic.twitter.com/hAhsfwH0JT

— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) May 29, 2025

Congress national spokesperson Pawan Khera shared a quote from Tharoor's book The Paradoxical Prime Minister, in which Tharoor accused the Modi government of politicizing the army. Kheda sarcastically wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that he agrees with the Tharoor who wrote the book, not the one who is now praising the Modi government.

In the same sequence, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also took a dig. He targeted Tharoor through a sarcastic English poem: "Oh, what a tangled web we weave when we first practice to deceive."

Congress leader Udit Raj even called Tharoor a "super spokesperson" of the BJP and alleged that Tharoor is now praising Prime Minister Modi more effectively than the BJP. Top-level sources of the party made it clear that Tharoor's statement does not match the official stand of the Congress.

A senior leader said that Congress is a democratic party, but Tharoor has crossed the limits of the party line this time. On such sensitive issues, leaders should speak in accordance with the party's policies instead of personal views, especially when the subject is related to national security and the claims of the government.

Amidst this controversy, Shashi Tharoor clarified on social media that he was not talking about war but India's response to terrorist attacks. He said that critics and trolls have a habit of twisting his words. Tharoor also clarified that he is not a party spokesperson, and this was his personal opinion, which he expressed in his personal capacity.