Tharoor: PM's dynamism, willingness to engage a 'prime asset' for India

New Delhi : Disregarding Congress brass’s frowns, its MP Shashi Tharoor has said PM Narendra Modi ’s energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remains a “prime asset” for India on the global stage but deserves greater backing.

“The diplomatic outreach following Operation Sindoor was a moment of national resolve and effective communication. It affirmed that India, when united, can project its voice with clarity and conviction on international platforms,” Tharoor wrote in an article published in The Hindu.

“While the immediate military action was decisive, the subsequent diplomatic outreach was equally, if not more, vital in shaping global perceptions and consolidating international support,” the Thiruvananthapuram MP said in the article that was referred to by PMO on its X handle.

Tharoor had earlier raised his party leadership’s hackles by praising Operation Sindoor and by agreeing to head one of the parliamentary delegations to sensitise global opinion to the necessity of India’s military retaliation following the Pahalgam terror attack . His party had questioned govt picking members of the delegation.

His fresh praise for the PM can only widen the MP’s gulf with the party brass. It also coincides with a fresh flurry of Congress attacks on Modi, this time for not “unequivocally condemning” the US for bombing Iran. Some in the party said Tharoor, unlike many of his colleagues, did not repost on X an article by Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Gaza and Iran.

In contrast, BJP highlighted Tharoor’s praise for the PM. Reflecting on his experience of leading the delegation that visited the US and other countries, Tharoor said the very composition of the delegations, featuring MPs from diverse political parties, different states and varied faiths, was a potent message in itself.

“It underscored that when it comes to national security and confronting terrorism, India speaks with one voice. This transcended domestic political differences, imbuing our message with greater credibility and gravitas in the eyes of our international interlocutors,” he said.