Shashi Tharoor Criticised by Congress Leader for Kashmir Remarks

Shashi Tharoor criticised by Congress leader for Kashmir 'progress' remarks

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor once again faced criticism from his own party members as he made remarks about Kashmir and "encouraging progress towards normalcy." "In Srinagar! Had the honour of an excellent meeting with Lieutenant-Governor Shri Manoj Sinha at Lok Bhavan today. We discussed the situation in the state and the encouraging progress towards normalcy. When I arrived he was chatting to the President of the Kashmiri Writers’ Association and the Women’s Organisation — a positive outreach that I welcomed," he said on X.

These remarks received a sharp criticism from the state chief spokesperson who said, "People of Kashmir too were expecting you to meet them to have a better understanding of the ground realities. Atleast could've spared sometime to meet own partymen fighting for statehood snatched from us 7 years ago."

This comes a day after Tharoor found himself at the centre of a row within the Congress over his remarks praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's handling of concerns related to attacks on Indian civilian sailors during his interactions with US President Donald Trump. Tharoor had said, "PM Modi made his point clear both in the public and private meetings with the President. It is important to convey the message that in wartime, civilian sailors on commercial ships should not be targets of combat. They are not soldiers, and that is the message PM Modi conveyed."

The remarks drew a sharp response from Congress leader Pawan Khera, who questioned whether PM Modi had made any such intervention, pointing out that neither the official India-US joint statement nor the Ministry of External Affairs' readout of the Modi-Trump meeting mentioned the issue.

Taking a swipe at his party colleague, Khera said, "My senior colleague Dr Shashi Tharoor's admiration for PM Modi appears to have transcended the limitations of the physical world. He now seems capable of hearing what Modi doesn't even say."

Responding on Saturday, Tharoor defended his comments "For those who believe I 'heard' words that @narendramodi never said at the G7, I was merely alluding to widely published reports about his remarks. I read widely and retain what I read." He added, "I have never in my life been accused of misrepresenting or distorting any facts or statements and I stand by my summary of what I read in the print media."

Tharoor also expressed surprise at the controversy, saying, "Frankly, I find it extraordinary that a statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors is being twisted into a partisan political controversy. Three Indians lost their lives. My remarks were about the safety of our citizens and the principle that civilian seafarers should never be targets of military action." He added that "concern for Indian lives should unite us, not divide us. "