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

Pawan Khera's Sharp Critique of Shashi Tharoor Sparks Congress Tensions

The ongoing friction within Congress has flared up once more, thanks to Pawan Khera's scathing remarks aimed at Shashi Tharoor. Khera took to X to express his bewilderment at Tharoor's apparent ability to interpret Prime Minister Modi's silence as profound statements. He 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.”

Tharoor had previously criticized those politicizing a humanitarian crisis involving Indian sailors. He lamented, “Frankly, I find it extraordinary that a statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors is being twisted into a partisan political controversy.” He emphasized the tragic loss of three Indian lives, asserting that concerns for their safety should unify rather than divide the nation.

This exchange follows Tharoor's earlier comments regarding the deaths of Indian sailors during US military strikes on commercial vessels. He stressed that civilians engaged in commercial shipping should not be treated as combatants. The strikes had raised serious diplomatic issues, prompting India to express its concerns to the US after three Indians were killed.

Tharoor's relationship with other Congress leaders has been strained for some time, particularly regarding his public praise of the Modi administration’s foreign policy. His remarks during a multi-party delegation abroad last year led to backlash within Congress, questioning his standing in the party. Sources indicate that discussions between Tharoor and party leadership have not resolved the ongoing discord.

The party has sought to distance itself from Tharoor's comments in the past. In May of the previous year, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh made it clear that Tharoor's views did not reflect the party's official stance, stating, “When Shashi Tharoor speaks, it is his opinion and it should not always be presumed to be the opinion of the Congress.”