Shashi Tharoor declines to speak on Op Sindoor in Lok Sabha over partys critic stance
Tharoor maintained that Operation Sindoor was a success and he would continue to stand by that assessment.
PTC News Desk: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor reportedly declined to speak on debate over Operation Sindoor after he was approached by the leader of opposition's office and the party’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha. He declined the request citing that he could not align with the party's current stance of criticism against the government over the operation.
Tharoor maintained that Operation Sindoor was a success and he would continue to stand by that assessment.
Tharoor is said to have informed party leaders that he would only speak in line with his earlier public remarks on the issue. Upon being told he would need to adopt the party’s critical position if he chose to speak, he decided to withdraw from the debate. The opposition, meanwhile, had called on Prime Minister Modi to address Parliament; Modi is set to speak in the Lok Sabha later today and the Rajya Sabha tomorrow.
Tharoor’s unwillingness to criticize Operation Sindoor highlights a deeper issue within the Congress.
His ties with the party have been strained since 2021, when he joined the G-23 group of dissenters and questioned the Gandhis’ leadership following a series of electoral losses. In recent months, the rift appears to have widened further.