Pawan Khera’S ‘Maha-Maanav Modi’ Jibe At Shashi Tharoor Over Sailor Deaths Reignites Congress Rift

Congress Rift Deepens as Pawan Khera Targets Shashi Tharoor

The ongoing tension within the Congress party has flared up again, sparked by Pawan Khera's biting remarks aimed at Shashi Tharoor. Khera implied that Tharoor's admiration for Prime Minister Modi has become almost otherworldly, suggesting that he perceives unspoken messages from the PM. In a tweet, Khera quipped,

“Perhaps the rest of us are constrained by ordinary human senses. For devotees of the ‘Maha-Maanav Modi’, the less he says, the more they hear.”

This exchange comes on the heels of Tharoor's previous comments on X, where he criticized those turning a humanitarian crisis into a political battleground. He stated,

“Frankly, I find it extraordinary that a statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors is being twisted into a partisan political controversy.”

He emphasized the loss of three Indian lives and insisted that concern for their safety should serve as a unifying force rather than a divisive one.

Tharoor's remarks were in response to the U.S. military strikes on three commercial vessels, including the Palau-flagged Settebello, resulting in the deaths of Indian crew members. He underscored the need for civilian sailors to be treated as non-combatants, regardless of the vessel's flag. India has since engaged with U.S. officials to express its concerns regarding these strikes.

The tension between Tharoor and other Congress leaders is not new. As chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, Tharoor faced backlash for his praise of the government's diplomatic responses during a previous crisis involving terrorism. His comments led to speculation about his standing within the party, especially as a member of the G23 group advocating for reforms within Congress.

Sources suggest that discussions between Tharoor and the Congress leadership about his public statements and the party's stance have been ongoing but unproductive. A senior party figure remarked,

“The issues have been discussed more than once, but the differences remain.”

This discord is further highlighted by past instances where party leaders, including Jairam Ramesh, have clarified that Tharoor's views do not necessarily reflect the official position of Congress.