Shashi Tharoor conveys 'nation first' message amid rift speculations with Congress
PTC News Desk: Amid continued speculation about tensions with the Congress leadership, senior party leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor emphasized on Saturday that political parties should work together in the interest of national security. Speaking at an event in Kochi focused on ‘Peace, Harmony and National Development,’ Tharoor stressed that the country must always take precedence, and political parties are simply tools to help shape a better nation.
He also responded to recent criticism directed at him for backing the Narendra Modi-led government’s approach to Operation Sindoor and issues concerning national defence.
"Which is your first loyalty? To my mind, the nation comes first. Parties are a means of making the nation better. So, to my mind, whichever party you belong to, the objective of the party is to create a better India in its own way. Now, parties have every right to disagree about the best way of doing that," he said.
"A lot of people have been very critical of me because of the stand I have taken, supporting our armed forces and our government, and what happened recently in our country and our borders. But I will stand my ground, because I believe this is the right thing for the country," he added.
Responding to a student's question about his relationship with the Congress leadership, Tharoor said, "When people like me say that we respect our parties, we have certain values and convictions that keep us in our parties, but we need to cooperate with other parties in the interest of national security. Sometimes the parties feel that is disloyal to them. That becomes a big problem."
- With inputs from agencies
