Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said on June 25 that Shashi Tharoor was a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) due to his good language (English) skills. Responding to Tharoor’s recent praise of Narendra Modi, Kharge said that while the Congress puts the nation first, for some, it’s Modi first.
“I do not know how to read English. His (Tharoor) language is good. That is why he in the Congress working committee. We have been saying from day one that we are with the Indian Army. I said in Gulbarga too that nation comes first, party later. For some people, it is Modi first while for us it is nation first,” Tharoor said, addressing a press conference at the Congress party’s Indira Bhawan office on June 25.
In an article published in The Hindu earlier this week, Congress MP Tharoor said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remain a ‘prime asset’ for India on the global stage but deserve greater backing.
Tharoor’s praise for the prime minister comes at a time when the Congress has been consistently attacking the Modi government over its foreign policy. The Congress party even said that diplomacy was being “shattered” and the country stands “isolated” globally, more so after Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir had a lunch meeting in Washington DC with US President Donald Trump a few days ago.
Tharoor’s remarks irk Congress
These remarks, like some of his recent ones, have seemingly irked Tharoor’s party and widened the growing cracks in his ties with its leadership. The article was shared by Prime Minister’s Office on its social media handle too.
Kharge said on the occasion that ‘undeclared emergency’ prevailed in the country while accusing the Bhartiya Janata Party of staging a Samvidhan Hatya Diwas “drama” to hide its governance failure.
Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his jibes on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, he said a government which has no tolerance and does not allow fraternity and liberty to prosper has no right to lecture others.
Slamming Prime Minister Modi, Kharge said the Constitution is in danger because of him and his governance. The Congress chief also alleged that there is no freedom of expression and movement under the Modi government.
“Those (BJP-RSS) people who are talking of Samvidhan bachao are now raking up the Emergency after 50 years. It was something people had forgotten and they are now raking it up,” he said.
Kharge said the the BJP-RSS had rejected the Constitution and stated that it did not have our cultural aspects such as elements of the Manusmriti. “They (BJP-RSS) did all this and have now been suddenly enlightened.”
The Congress’ counter offensive came after the prime minister said no Indian will ever forget the manner in which the spirit of the Constitution was violated during the Emergency. He affirmed his government’s commitment to strengthening constitutional principles.
For some people, it is Modi first while for us it is nation first.
In a series of posts on X on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, Modi said it was one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history.