Congress Clarifies on Shashi Tharoor’s Advani Praise: ‘Personal Views, Not Party’s Stand’

Congress Distances Itself from Shashi Tharoor’s Praise for Advani: ‘Views Are His Own’

Shashi Tharoor’s defence of LK Advani’s political legacy has once again put him at odds with his party. The Congress on Saturday clarified that the MP’s remarks were made in a personal capacity and did not reflect the party’s official position.

“Like always, Dr. Shashi Tharoor speaks for himself, and the Indian National Congress outrightly dissociates itself from his most recent statement,” said Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera. “That he continues to do so as a Congress MP and CWC member reflects the democratic and liberal spirit unique to the INC.”

The clarification came after Tharoor described the veteran BJP leader as a “true statesman” on his 98th birthday and defended his political record, saying it should not be reduced to a single controversial episode — the 1990 Rath Yatra that many link to the Babri Masjid demolition.

“Reducing his long years of service to one episode, however significant, is unfair. Just as Nehruji’s career cannot be defined solely by the China setback, nor Indira Gandhi’s only by the Emergency, the same fairness should be shown to Advaniji,” Tharoor wrote on X.

His remarks triggered criticism from several quarters. Lawyer Sanjay Hegde responded sharply, saying Advani’s Rath Yatra “was not an episode but a long march to reverse the foundational principles of the Indian Republic.”

Advani’s 1990 Rath Yatra — which began in Somnath and was halted in Bihar by then Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav — is widely regarded as a turning point in Indian politics, paving the way for the communal tensions that culminated in the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992.

A History of Divergence

This is not the first time Tharoor’s independent views have unsettled his party. Earlier this year, his praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his acceptance of a government invitation to lead an all-party delegation drew sharp reactions from state Congress leaders.

In July, Kerala Congress leader K Muraleedharan declared that Tharoor was “no longer one of us,” adding that he would be kept away from party events in Thiruvananthapuram until he changed his stance. Tharoor had retorted that his “first loyalty is to the nation,” not to any party.

More recently, an opinion piece he authored in Project Syndicate — describing dynastic politics as a “serious threat to democracy” — stirred unease within the Congress, with leaders viewing it as a veiled critique of the Nehru-Gandhi family. Congress leader Udit Raj countered at the time that dynastic tendencies “exist across all professions,” not just politics.

Tharoor’s latest comments, equating Advani’s legacy with Nehru and Indira Gandhi’s, have revived internal unease and underlined his growing distance from the party line — even as Congress continues to stress that his words are entirely his own.