Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday clarified his remarks on Operation Sindoor, stating that his views were personal and did not reflect the Congress party’s official position.
Tharoor stressed the significance of uniting behind the national flag during times of conflict, especially on international platforms where India’s voice needs to be amplified.
“I made it very clear that I am expressing my personal views. It was really a contribution to the national discourse, at a time when it was very important for us to rally around the flag, especially internationally. There was a relative lack of our point of view being heard, particularly in the US, Europe, and the Middle East…,” said Tharoor.
His clarification follows the Congress party’s decision to distance itself from his comments about Operation Sindoor and the understanding between India and Pakistan. Tharoor asserted that he had received no direct communication from the party on the matter.
“People are entirely free to reject my point of view. I have received no communication from the party; all I am seeing is media reports…,” he added.
Tharoor reiterated that he spoke as an Indian citizen and not in any official capacity.
“…At this time, at a time of conflict, I spoke as an Indian. I never pretended to speak for anyone else. I am not a spokesperson for the party. I am not the government spokesperson. Whatever I have said, you may agree or disagree with that, blame it on me individually, and that’s fine…” he stated in response to Congress’ reported comments calling his views outside the party’s stance.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh had earlier said, “It is his opinion. What Shashi Tharoor speaks is not the opinion of the party.” Tharoor endorsed Ramesh’s statement, underlining his own role.
“But he’s correct. He’s absolutely correct. I very clear I’m not a spokesman of the party. I’m not a spokesman of the government either… People seem to think I have some knowledge about some of these subjects, and so they come and ask me my views. I make it very clear, sometimes explicitly, sometimes implicitly, that I’m expressing my personal views as an Indian, as a proud citizen, and certainly don’t forget that my own party had declared complete solidarity with the government and the armed forces at the beginning of this conflict and that spirit. I also expressed that support….”
Tharoor also dismissed reports suggesting that Congress leaders accused him of having crossed the “Lakshman Rekha” during a recent Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting.
“I don’t know where it came from. I was in the meeting, a closed-door meeting, with the leaders of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). I was there till 6.35 pm for the meeting that began at 4.30. And I must say that in that time there was certainly no reference to any of this, and no reference to me. Now, if something happened thereafter, I am yet to be informed of it. So when I’m informed I will react, I don’t see much point in reacting to something of which has been no official communication to me of any kind, nor any discussion of which I was a part.”
Tharoor had earlier praised the Centre’s handling of Operation Sindoor and welcomed the understanding between India and Pakistan to halt military actions on land, at sea, and in the air, stressing the value of maintaining peace.
Meanwhile, while Congress extended support to the government’s action following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, it has also questioned the BJP-led Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in light of U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims of mediating between India and Pakistan regarding the ceasefire.
Operation Sindoor, launched in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack, led to precision strikes by India in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) on May 7, reportedly killing over 100 terrorists.