Congress leader Shashi Tharoor posted a cryptic social media update on Wednesday amid continued speculation about a rift within the party. The post came hours after party president Mallikarjun Kharge took a swipe at the Thiruvananthapuram MP for his recent praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tharoor had led an all-party parliamentary delegation as part of the Narendra Modi government’s outreach efforts after Operation Sindoor — with party leaders irked by some of his remarks.
“Don’t ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one,” Tharoor posted in a message alongside a photo of a bird.
Tharoor has faced continued speculation about a defection to the BJP in recent weeks over his repeated praise for the PM. The Prime Minister’s Office also fueled buzz on Monday after sharing an article written by the Congress MP where he opined that Modi’s “energy, dynamism, and willingness to engage remained a prime asset for India on the global stage, but deserved greater backing”. Tharoor, however, insisted earlier this week that his willingness to join the international delegation should not be viewed as him ‘leaping to join’ the BJP.
“Shashi Tharoor’s English is very good, that’s why he has been taken in CWC (Congress Working Committee). I supported this. But what I want to say is that all of us, the entire opposition, have come together and said we stand with our Army, our Army that is fighting, we are with them. We say nation first, but some people say Modi first, country later. What can we do about that?” Kharge asked on Wednesday.
The Congress chief also sidestepped a question about whether Congress would take action against Tharoor.
“Whoever wants to write…whatever, can write. We don’t want to pay attention to it. (ham isme dimaag-khrabh nhi karna chahte). We have only one target: that there should be unity in the country. The country stays safe, and we will keep on fighting for the country. We don’t need to pay attention to what anyone is saying,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)