“I have been working in Congress for the past 16 years. I have some differences of opinion with the party, and I will discuss them inside the party… Today I don’t want to speak it. I need to meet and talk, let the time come, and I will discuss it…,” Tharoor said during a media interaction in Thiruvananthapuram.
While refraining from naming whether those differences lie at the state or national level, Tharoor noted that “some of those issues are there in the public domain and have been reported by you (media).”
On his absence from the Nilambur campaign trail, the Thiruvananthapuram MP explained that he was not invited—echoing a similar scenario during the Wayanad bypoll.
“I do not go where I am not invited,” he stated, while expressing his best wishes for the UDF’s candidate and hoping the workers’ efforts bear fruit.
Asked about his recent conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tharoor clarified that the exchange was purely related to the MP delegation’s visits overseas in connection with Operation Sindoor, dismissing speculation of any political undertones.
“The discussion with the PM was only on matters related to the MPs’ delegation. When an issue arises for the nation, it is our responsibility to stand with the nation. When the nation needs my service, I am always ready,” he said.
Defending his decision to lead a government delegation abroad, Tharoor reiterated his longstanding position as chair of the External Affairs Committee: he serves India’s foreign policy, not that of any party.
“I have not changed my line. When an issue concerning the nation comes up, we are all obligated to work and speak for the country. What I said during Operation Sindoor was my own opinion. The Centre asked for my services. Indeed, my party did not. So, I proudly did my duty as an Indian citizen.”
Tharoor’s remarks come amid visible absences from the campaign scene, even as senior Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi, actively canvassed in Nilambur.
His remarks at a diaspora event in Panama, where he described Operation Sindoor as a turning point in India’s military policy—“For the first time, India crossed the Line of Control (LoC) to strike a terror base… Even during the Kargil War, we did not cross the LoC”—also drew criticism from within his own party.
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