Congress Mocks PM’s Lecture, Asks Why Tharoor Applauded It

• Congress criticises PM Modi’s lecture, calls it “petty” and biased
• Supriya Shrinate questions Tharoor for appreciating the speech
• Tharoor says PM outlined economic direction and cultural call to action
• PM Modi targeted Congress, spoke on development, Bihar polls and ideology

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 19th Nov: The Congress on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his address at the Ramnath Goenka Lecture, calling it a “petty speech” and questioning senior party leader Shashi Tharoor for praising it.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate criticised the Prime Minister for targeting her party during the lecture, claiming he “thinks of Congress day and night.” Addressing reporters, she said the PM should have spoken about his “problem with fair journalism” at an event organised by a newspaper. “He should tell us why he is unhappy with those who show and speak the truth,” she said.

Her remarks came a day after Tharoor said the speech served as both “an economic outlook and a cultural call to action.” In his post on X, Tharoor wrote that the Prime Minister emphasised India’s “constructive impatience” for development and urged the country to shed its post-colonial mindset. He noted that he attended the lecture despite a severe cold.

https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor/status/1990652328224174334

At the sixth Ramnath Goenka Lecture on Monday, PM Modi spoke about the Bihar election results, saying they send a message to all state governments that people will judge them solely on development, irrespective of ideological leaning. He rejected claims that the BJP is always in “election mode,” stating instead that the party is in “emotional mode,” driven by commitment to public welfare 24×7.

The Prime Minister also accused the Congress of aligning with forces sympathetic to Naxalism and Maoist extremism, asserting that while such elements are losing ground nationally, they are gaining influence within the opposition party.

This is not the first time Tharoor’s remarks have raised eyebrows within the Congress. Earlier, he criticised dynastic politics across parties, calling it a “grave threat” to Indian democracy — comments the BJP described as an “insightful” assessment of political culture.