Tharoor’s ‘Chamchagiri’ or Strategic Statesmanship? Congress Can’t Decide

By Harshita Rai
In a political climate where party lines often drown out nuance, Shashi Tharoor has once again chosen to speak with clarity and conviction. During a recent speech in Panama City, the Congress MP’s unflinching praise of India’s response to terrorism under the Modi government has stirred both admiration and unrest. While many heard a patriot standing up for national security, his own party seems less enthused — exposing once again the uneasy space Tharoor occupies within the Congress fold.

Representing India as part of a global outreach to expose Pakistan’s terror links, Tharoor didn’t mince words. “We have suffered attack after attack for four decades… But what has changed is that now, the perpetrators know there is a price to pay,” he said, referencing India’s 2016 surgical strikes and the Balakot airstrikes of 2019.

It’s rare for a senior Congress leader to acknowledge the Modi government’s handling of terrorism so unequivocally. And Tharoor’s words, spoken not in a TV studio but on an international platform, carried weight and sincerity. He described in painful detail the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, recalling how a young Pakistani terrorist was captured alive, how evidence was shared with the world — and how justice was never served.

“The world had the evidence, and still, the masterminds roam free. Pakistan has chosen a policy of enabling terror,” he said.

In a particularly emotional moment, Tharoor invoked “Operation Sindoor” — India’s latest retaliatory strike following the horrific Pahalgam attack. “The terrorists wiped the sindoor off the foreheads of 26 women… We made sure that sindoor’s colour matched the blood of the killers,” he said, blending grief and grit into a message of resolve.

Back home, however, that resolve has unsettled his own party. Congress’s official line now questions the government’s transparency around the strike and the ceasefire that followed. Leaders like Pawan Khera and Udit Raj have publicly expressed discomfort with Tharoor’s statements. One even accused him of doing “Modi ji ki chamchagiri” (flattery of Modi).

But should recognising the truth of a national action be branded as betrayal?

Tharoor’s speech didn’t come off as partisan cheerleading. It sounded more like the voice of a diplomat and public servant who understands India’s pain — and refuses to be politically correct about it. His remarks seemed less about the BJP and more about the lives lost, the families shattered, and the need to ensure that such tragedies are not brushed aside with platitudes.

And this isn’t the first time Tharoor has stepped outside the bounds of party orthodoxy. His willingness to speak independently — sometimes uncomfortably so for Congress — has earned him admiration and criticism in equal measure. But in today’s environment, where loyalty is often confused with silence, his outspokenness remains rare.

The Congress may see this as Tharoor stepping out of line, but many Indians — including those who do not vote BJP — might see it differently. To them, he is offering something few politicians do: honesty, nuance, and a willingness to put the nation before the narrative.

As internal murmurs grow about Tharoor having crossed the “Lakshman Rekha,” one is reminded that this mythical boundary wasn’t meant to fence in truth. Perhaps Tharoor hasn’t crossed a line — he’s just refusing to toe one.