As the Congress mounts its offensive in Parliament during the Operation Sindoor debate, internal discord has once again overshadowed its strategy. The absence of senior leaders like Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tewari from the list of Congress speakers has raised eyebrows and fueled political speculation — both within the party and outside.
On Tuesday, Manish Tewari, former Union Minister and current Chandigarh MP, reignited the controversy with a pointed social media post. Sharing a news report on his and Tharoor’s omission from the party’s speaker list, Tewari captioned the post with lyrics from the patriotic classic Purab Aur Pachhim — “Hai preet jahaan ki reet sada, main geet wahaan ke gaata hoon, Bharat ka rehne waala hoon, Bharat ki baat sunata hoon. Jai Hind” — a line interpreted by many as a subtle assertion of national loyalty over party diktat.
Congress Mutes Key Voices Amid Strategic Concerns
Both Tewari and Tharoor were part of high-profile Indian delegations sent abroad as part of New Delhi’s global outreach after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. However, neither has been allowed to represent the party in the Parliament debate on the operation. Another MP, Amar Singh from Fatehgarh Sahib — also part of a delegation — has been similarly excluded.
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While veteran leaders Anand Sharma and Salman Khurshid, who were also part of the outreach, are not current MPs, speculation is rife that the Congress high command deliberately kept delegation members off the list. Sources suggest the party feared these MPs may not deliver the aggressive tone it expected, considering their involvement in diplomacy following the national counterstrike.
Reportedly, Manish Tewari even expressed interest in speaking during the debate but was denied permission by party leadership.
Tharoor’s Silence and BJP’s Taunt
When asked about his omission, Tharoor, a known orator and former diplomat, simply smiled and said “maunvrat” — a vow of silence — offering no further comment. Sources told NDTV that Tharoor had made it clear he would not contradict his previous public positions just to align with party messaging.
The friction comes on the heels of his recent remarks where he stated, “My first loyalty lies with the nation. Parties are a means of making the nation better.” Tharoor’s comments, along with Tewari’s patriotic message, have only deepened the divide between these senior leaders and the Congress leadership.
Sensing an opportunity, BJP leader Baijayant Jay Panda took a jab at the Congress during the debate, saying, “There are several leaders in your party who can speak well… My friend Shashi Tharoor Ji, who is a good speaker, is not allowed to speak by his party.”
As the Congress attempts to put the government on the mat over Operation Sindoor, the party’s internal silencing of key voices could weaken its stance and hand the BJP a strategic advantage.
