Shashi Tharoor Draws Fire From Congress Colleagues Amid Modi Praise, Cryptic Post

A day after Shashi Tharoor shared a cryptic message amid ongoing tensions with the Congress party, senior leader Manickam Tagore on Tuesday took a swipe at the Thiruvananthapuram MP, remarking that "even a free bird must watch the skies".

Tagore's comments followed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's indirect dig at Tharoor the previous day. While reaffirming the party's commitment to putting the nation first, Kharge noted, "but for some people, it is Modi first".

Photo Credit: PTI

Shortly after, Tharoor posted on X with an image of a bird, captioned: "Don't ask permission to fly. The wings are yours, and the sky belongs to no one."

On Tuesday, Tagore responded with a pointed tweet, again without directly naming Tharoor: "Don't ask permission to fly. Birds don't need clearance to rise. But today, even a free bird must watch the skies - hawks, vultures, and 'eagles' are always hunting. Freedom isn't free, especially when the predators wear patriotism as feathers."

Frictions between Tharoor and the Congress came to light after the government selected the four-time MP to head an all-party delegation for Operation Sindoor, India's campaign against Pakistan.

Since then, Tharoor has repeatedly commended the government's actions, including those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi - praise that has irked the Congress leadership.

Last week, in a column for The Hindu, Tharoor lauded Modi, calling him a "prime asset for India" because of his "energy, dynamism and willingness".

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remains a prime asset for India on the global stage, but deserves greater backing," Tharoor wrote.

His comments sparked speculation that he might be preparing to join the BJP. However, Tharoor dismissed the rumours, denying any plans to defect to the saffron party.

He clarified that his involvement in Operation Sindoor was not an indication of "leaping to join" the BJP, but rather a gesture of national unity, interest and standing up for India.

Tharoor's comments during the international outreach came under fire from several Congress leaders, especially after he appeared to downplay the UPA-era surgical strikes while praising the Modi government's response.

In response, Tharoor hit back at his critics, accusing "critics and trolls" of misrepresenting his statements and asserting he had "better things to do".

His latest round of praise for the Prime Minister comes shortly after he admitted to having differences with the Congress leadership, though he sought to play down any serious rift with the high command or the party's rank and file.