Congress rift deepens over Shashi Tharoor's remarks on surgical strikes

The Congress party finds itself grappling with internal discord following senior leader Shashi Tharoor's recent remarks crediting the Modi government with India’s first surgical strikes across the LoC in 2016. The statement, made during an international event in Panama, has sparked a wave of criticism within his own party and drawn support from political opponents.

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Congress leader Pawan Khera publicly countered Tharoor by sharing an excerpt from Tharoor’s 2018 book The Paradoxical Prime Minister, in which he had accused the BJP government of using the 2016 surgical strikes for political mileage. Khera further cited a section where Tharoor acknowledged that the Congress had authorized similar strikes in the past but chose not to publicize them.

The party leadership has reportedly expressed its displeasure over Tharoor’s comments, which are seen as inconsistent with Congress’s long-standing position. In response, Congress reiterated that at least six surgical strikes had been carried out during the UPA era, without political fanfare. An old interview with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was circulated by Khera, where Singh confirmed such military actions under his leadership.

Meanwhile, the BJP seized the opportunity to back Tharoor, referring to a 2018 RTI reply from the DGMO that affirmed the 2016 operation. The episode has exposed a widening chasm within Congress ahead of critical political contests.