New Delhi, India – Congress MP Manish Tewari on Tuesday morning subtly voiced his apparent discontent regarding the party’s selection of speakers for the Lok Sabha debate on Operation Sindoor. Tewari made a social media post on X (formerly Twitter) featuring a patriotic song about “Bharat ki baat” alongside a news report explaining why he and fellow Congress leader Shashi Tharoor were not listed among the speakers.
है प्रीत जहां की रीत सदा
— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) July 29, 2025
मैं गीत वहां के गाता हूं
भारत का रहने वाला हूं
भारत की बात सुनाता हूं
Hai preet jahaan ki reet sada
Main geet wahaan ke gaata hoon
Bharat ka rehne waala hoon
Bharat ki baat sunata hoon
– Jai Hind pic.twitter.com/tP5VjiH2aD
The news report Tewari referenced was tellingly headlined: “Spoke in favour of govt: Why Congress benched Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari during Operation Sindoor debate.” This suggested a potential disagreement with his party’s decision to not include him in the speaking roster.
The report highlighted that none of the Congress MPs who had been part of multi-party delegations for global outreach, formed by the Modi government after Operation Sindoor, were included in the party’s list of speakers for the crucial debate. Both Tewari and Tharoor were prominent members of these delegations.
The Congress party had reportedly expressed discomfort, particularly concerning Shashi Tharoor, over their MPs being chosen for these delegations without the government officially requesting names from the party. The situation became further complicated when, during their speeches in these delegations, the Congress MPs offered praise for the Modi government’s policies.
In his Tuesday post, Tewari, a senior leader and current MP from Chandigarh, chose a song from Manoj Kumar’s 1970 movie ‘Purab Aur Pachhim.’ The lyrics, simply translated, convey a message of national pride: “Where love is part of our tradition, of that land I sing. I come from Bharat (India), it is Bharat’s story that I sing.”
Shashi Tharoor had offered an even more succinct response when reporters asked him about his absence from the Congress’s list of speakers on Monday. With a smile, he simply stated, “Maunvrat” (vow of silence).
The debate on Operation Sindoor is set to continue in Parliament on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to address the House, as are Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge