Congress faces internal rift as Shashi Tharoor’s praise for PM Modi sparks sharp reactions
New Delhi – Fresh political turbulence today as senior Congress leaders question Shashi Tharoor for praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Ramnath Goenka Lecture. The controversy grew sharper on Wednesday when party leader Sandeep Dikshit demanded clarity from Tharoor.
Dikshit attacked Tharoor directly. He said Tharoor admires BJP strategies more than Congress policies. He asked him why he remains in the party if he believes the BJP works better for the country. He added that Tharoor must follow the ideology he supports. Dikshit then accused him of hypocrisy for staying in the Congress while applauding its rival.
The criticism erupted a day after Tharoor’s social media post. On Tuesday, he wrote on X that he attended the lecture on the invitation of the organising newspaper. He said the Prime Minister delivered an address that combined an economic vision and a cultural push for a post-colonial mindset. He added that the speech urged India to pursue development restlessly. He even said he felt glad to attend despite being unwell.
However, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate strongly disagreed. She questioned how Tharoor found anything worth appreciating in a speech filled with attacks on the opposition. She argued that PM Modi skipped key issues linked to press freedom. She said he should have answered why he dislikes fair journalism and why he remains uncomfortable with truth in reporting. She also claimed that the Prime Minister constantly thinks about the Congress.
Meanwhile, background developments added more heat. At the sixth Ramnath Goenka Lecture, PM Modi spoke on the Bihar election results. He said the sweeping mandate in Bihar sends a message to all states. According to him, voters will reward leaders who focus on development, whether the political ideology is left, right, or centre.
He also responded to critics who accuse the BJP of remaining in election mode. He said the party wins because it stays in “emotional mode” and works round the clock for development. Modi also targeted the Congress again. He said groups that once backed Naxalism and Maoist terrorism are losing influence nationwide but gaining traction inside the main opposition party.
As reactions poured in, senior leaders recalled that this is not Tharoor’s first moment of admiration for the Prime Minister or the BJP. Earlier, he criticised dynastic politics and said India must shift from family rule to merit-based leadership. The BJP welcomed those remarks and described them as an insightful critique of today’s political culture.
The Congress now confronts another internal challenge. While the party tries to rebuild after electoral setbacks, leaders like Tharoor push for open discussions. But others view such praise as damaging. As the debate deepens, the rift highlights the Congress’s struggle to balance internal dissent with political discipline.
