New Delhi– A political row broke out on Wednesday after Congress leader Udit Raj labeled senior party MP Shashi Tharoor the “super spokesperson of the BJP,” drawing a sharp rebuttal from BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, who defended Tharoor and accused the Congress of hypocrisy.
The controversy stemmed from remarks Tharoor made during a visit to Panama as part of a multi-party global outreach delegation. Speaking on India’s evolving approach to terrorism, Tharoor stated that the country’s response had toughened in recent years and that terrorists now understood there would be consequences for their actions.
This prompted Udit Raj to criticize Tharoor on social media platform X, suggesting his comments aligned more with BJP talking points than those of the Congress.
“My dear @ShashiTharoor,” Raj wrote. “Alas! I could only wish PM Modi would declare you the BJP’s super spokesperson — or even the foreign minister — before your return to India. How can you belittle Congress’s legacy by suggesting India never crossed the LoC or international borders before Modi? In 1965, the Army advanced into Pakistan in Lahore; in 1971, we split Pakistan; and under the UPA, surgical strikes were conducted without being politicized. How could you be so disloyal to the party that gave you everything?”
In response, BJP’s Shehzad Poonawalla defended Tharoor, accusing the Congress of prioritizing partisanship over national interest.
“When Pakistan is exposed internationally, why does Congress get upset?” Poonawalla asked in a statement to IANS. “Is it because Tharoor spoke in India’s interest rather than toeing the party line? Does speaking up for India automatically make someone a BJP supporter? Tharoor is being attacked simply for telling the truth.”
Poonawalla went further, suggesting Udit Raj’s comments were orchestrated by Rahul Gandhi. “It appears Rahul Gandhi has instructed Congress leaders to target Tharoor. But this is not about party politics. Tharoor was discussing national security, not ideology. If that makes him ‘pro-BJP,’ then the Congress needs serious introspection.”
He also criticized Congress’s alleged discomfort with holding Pakistan accountable. “If calling out Pakistan or praising the Indian military makes you anti-Congress, then what exactly does the party stand for? At this point, Congress seems more like Pakistan’s publicity wing than India’s opposition.”
Poonawalla also invoked a recent claim by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who alleged that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had asked then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan to mediate between India and Pakistan.
“Dubey’s revelations show how Congress engaged in foreign-mediated talks with Pakistan, despite denying it publicly. Rahul Gandhi is misleading the nation by glossing over these facts,” Poonawalla said.
He cited additional historical examples to question Congress’s national security decisions, including Deputy Prime Minister Jagjivan Ram’s reported plea to Indira Gandhi to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir during the 1971 war, and the subsequent ceasefire agreement.
“Who gave away PoK? Who ignored Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s advice? If Patel’s vision had been followed, PoK wouldn’t be an issue today. And why did Congress take the Kashmir issue to the United Nations in the first place? These are the questions the party must answer,” Poonawalla concluded. (Source: IANS)
