'Narad Muni Politics': Congress Slams BJP For Including Shashi Tharoor In Operation Sindoor Delegation Without Consultation

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday accused the ruling BJP of playing “Narad Muni politics” for including its party MP Shashi Tharoor’s name in the list of seven parliamentarians who would be heading all-party delegations abroad to explain Operation Sindoor for doing so without consulting the party leadership.

The Congress general secretary termed the saffron party’s move “dishonest” and “outright mischievous” and insisted that it could not include names of MPs (in delegations) without consulting the party and that the concurrence of the Congress should have been sought.

Talking to the media, Ramesh said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had asked the Congress for names. “We expected that the names we had given would be included, but were surprised to see the PIB press release. I cannot say what will happen now. Asking four names, giving four names, and announcing another name is dishonest on the government’s part.”

The Congress on Saturday announced the names of former union minister Anand Sharma, Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Raja Brar for these foreign visits. It left Tharoor out despite the Centre revealing that it had approached him and Salman Khurshid for these trips.

On Congress’ reaction to his selection as a delegation head, Tharoor told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that, “the party is completely entitled to its opinion” and that it was a government delegation and “the government has its own opinion as to who they felt appropriate”.

BJP Leader Amit Malviya's Tweet

BJP's Amit Malviya, in a post on “X” said, "No one can deny Shashi Tharoor’s eloquence, his long experience as a United Nations official, and his deep insights on matters of foreign policy,” he said and asked, “so why has the Congress Party — and Rahul Gandhi in particular — chosen not to nominate him for the multi-party delegations being sent abroad to explain India’s position on key issues?” Since the Congress had only earlier this week also distanced itself from Tharoor’s comments lauding the handling of Operation Sindoor by the Centre.

No one can deny Shashi Tharoor’s eloquence, his long experience as a United Nations official, and his deep insights on matters of foreign policy.

So why has the Congress Party — and Rahul Gandhi in particular — chosen not to nominate him for the multi-party delegations being…

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) May 17, 2025

Malviya also asked: “Is it insecurity? Jealousy? Or simply intolerance of anyone who outshines the ‘high command’?” Ramesh had on Wednesday called out Tharoor for crossing the “Laxman Rekha” (the invisible line) and clarified that his comments on the India-Pakistan conflict were his own and not the official stand of his party. Tharoor had then stated that he had told those approaching him for his remarks that he was “expressing my personal views as an Indian, as a proud citizen”.