Shashi Tharoor Responds To Speculations On Joining BJP, Here Is What He Said?

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has been under the spotlight recently for openly commending the government during the military conflict against Pakistan. His stand brought him to bitter terms with his own party. His public praise for the government action and his being at the helm of a multi-party delegation, despite Congress not recommending his name, raised apprehensions that he might be looking for alternatives.

The speculations further swirled after he wrote an article and praised PM Modi, an article which was later shared by the PMO. However, the senior Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP has put them to rest.

Defending his article on Operation Sindoor's global outreach, Tharoor on Tuesday said that it was not a sign of his "leaping to join" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party. Rather, he termed it a "statement of national unity".

He made the remark when asked about the article in Moscow. "It is not a sign of my leaping to join the prime minister's party (the BJP) as some people unfortunately have been implying. It is a statement of national unity, of national interest and of standing up for India, which to my mind is fundamentally why I came back to India after 25 years of service at the UN," he said.

ALSO READ: PMO's Surprise Gesture For Shashi Tharoor After Congress MP Praises PM Modi, Is Something Brewing?

In a recent news article in The Hindu, Tharoor heaped praises on the prime minister. He termed his energy and dynamism as "an asset for India". He wrote, "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."

He called Operation Sindoor a national resolve. Tharoor was at the helm of one of the seven multi-party delegations that travelled abroad spreading India's unified voice against Pakistan-backed terrorism.

His delegation visited US, Panama, Colombia, Guyana and Brazil. Speaking about his article, Tharoor further clarified, "It is an article in which I describe the success of this outreach mission, which, amongst other things, showcased the unity of all parties behind the matter of vital national interest."

"So, I said the prime minister himself has demonstrated dynamism and energy in engaging with other countries. He has travelled to more countries than any prime minister, and done so in order to take the message of India around the world," he added.

"Today it is a message against terrorism, tomorrow it could be a message on something else, but that backing up, I believe, is very important," he said.