NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor reacted to the Centre’s decision to include him in all-party delegation — despite his party not nominating him — by saying the government selected “who they felt was appropriate” for the role. He added that the Congress party was entitled to its opinion of his "abilities or lack thereof".
"The party is completely entitled to its opinion. Clearly, it's been a government delegation and government has its own opinion as to who they felt appropriate," he said speaking to reporters on Saturday.
"My party leadership is entitled to its opinion of my abilities or lack thereof, and I think that is really for them to explain. I have absolutely no comment to make on that. I am honoured to have been entrusted with the responsibility, and I will fulfil that responsibility just as I have fulfilled every responsibility entrusted to me in my rather long working life, whether at the United Nations or in the Congress Party," he added.
Amid political backlash from the Bharatiya Janata Party over non-inclusion of his name by the Congress, Tharoor categorically mentioned that "this has nothing to do with party politics".
"To my mind, this has nothing to do with party politics. It's all to do with what our country has been through in recent times and the need for us to present a united front...It is a good reflection of national unity at a time when unity is important," he said.
'Some get polluted,' Congress' jibe at Tharoor; 'jealousy?' asks BJP
After Tharoor accepted the invitation to lead one of the delegations, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a jibe saying, "The Congress is like the mighty Ganga, which has many tributaries… Some of them dry up and some get polluted."
He further said that individual MPs included in official delegations are expected to seek their party’s concurrence, adding that if the government nominates an MP, it is the MP’s responsibility to consult their party before accepting the role.
Tharoor later clarified that he informed his party regarding this: "Certainly, I informed them (the party) of the first call I got, which was two days ago. I also mentioned to the parliamentary affairs minister that I assumed that he would be talking to the party leaderships of opposition parties, and he assured me that he would be," he said.
The apparent rift between Tharoor and the grand old party was picked up by the BJP with Amit Malviya questioning whether Congress' stance came from a place of "insecurity, Jealousy, or simply intolerance of anyone who outshines the high command".
"No one can deny Shashi Tharoor’s eloquence, his long experience as a United Nations official, and his deep insights on matters of foreign policy. So why has the Congress Party — and Rahul Gandhi in particular — chosen not to nominate him for the multi-party delegations being sent abroad to explain India’s position on key issues? Is it insecurity? Jealousy? Or simply intolerance of anyone who outshines the ‘high command’?" he said.
The all-party delegations will represent India’s unified political stance and unwavering commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms. The outreach follows Operation Sindoor — launched on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives — during which India carried out precision strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, eliminating over 100 terrorists.
"The party is completely entitled to its opinion. Clearly, it's been a government delegation and government has its own opinion as to who they felt appropriate," he said speaking to reporters on Saturday.
#WATCH | Thiruvanthapuram | "Certainly, when the nation needs my services, I am available and I'm available for my country. To my mind, this has nothing to do with party politics. It's all to do with what our country has been through in recent times and the need for us to present… pic.twitter.com/1vIJKkMoaW
— ANI (@ANI) May 17, 2025
"My party leadership is entitled to its opinion of my abilities or lack thereof, and I think that is really for them to explain. I have absolutely no comment to make on that. I am honoured to have been entrusted with the responsibility, and I will fulfil that responsibility just as I have fulfilled every responsibility entrusted to me in my rather long working life, whether at the United Nations or in the Congress Party," he added.
#WATCH | Congress MP Shashi Tharoor to lead one of the seven delegations on India’s anti-terror stand
— ANI (@ANI) May 17, 2025
He says, "My party leadership is entitled to its opinion of my abilities or lack thereof, and I think that is really for them to explain. I have absolutely no comment to make on… pic.twitter.com/eOpB5MHWRe
Amid political backlash from the Bharatiya Janata Party over non-inclusion of his name by the Congress, Tharoor categorically mentioned that "this has nothing to do with party politics".
"To my mind, this has nothing to do with party politics. It's all to do with what our country has been through in recent times and the need for us to present a united front...It is a good reflection of national unity at a time when unity is important," he said.
'Some get polluted,' Congress' jibe at Tharoor; 'jealousy?' asks BJP
After Tharoor accepted the invitation to lead one of the delegations, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a jibe saying, "The Congress is like the mighty Ganga, which has many tributaries… Some of them dry up and some get polluted."
He further said that individual MPs included in official delegations are expected to seek their party’s concurrence, adding that if the government nominates an MP, it is the MP’s responsibility to consult their party before accepting the role.
Tharoor later clarified that he informed his party regarding this: "Certainly, I informed them (the party) of the first call I got, which was two days ago. I also mentioned to the parliamentary affairs minister that I assumed that he would be talking to the party leaderships of opposition parties, and he assured me that he would be," he said.
The apparent rift between Tharoor and the grand old party was picked up by the BJP with Amit Malviya questioning whether Congress' stance came from a place of "insecurity, Jealousy, or simply intolerance of anyone who outshines the high command".
"No one can deny Shashi Tharoor’s eloquence, his long experience as a United Nations official, and his deep insights on matters of foreign policy. So why has the Congress Party — and Rahul Gandhi in particular — chosen not to nominate him for the multi-party delegations being sent abroad to explain India’s position on key issues? Is it insecurity? Jealousy? Or simply intolerance of anyone who outshines the ‘high command’?" he said.
No one can deny Shashi Tharoor’s eloquence, his long experience as a United Nations official, and his deep insights on matters of foreign policy.
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) May 17, 2025
So why has the Congress Party — and Rahul Gandhi in particular — chosen not to nominate him for the multi-party delegations being…
The all-party delegations will represent India’s unified political stance and unwavering commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms. The outreach follows Operation Sindoor — launched on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives — during which India carried out precision strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, eliminating over 100 terrorists.
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