“Better things to do…”: Shashi Tharoor Hits Back at Congress Amid Row Over Comments on Anti-Terror Strikes

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has hit back at party colleagues after facing criticism within the ranks of the grand old party for praising the Modi government’s response to terrorism, insisting that his remarks were taken out of context. The senior leader, currently leading an Indian delegation abroad, said he had “better things to do” than respond to what he called distortions of his views.

“Critics and trolls are welcome to distort my words as they see fit. I genuinely have better things to do,” Tharoor wrote in a post on X from Panama, where he was wrapping up a diplomatic engagement before heading to Bogota. “I was clearly and explicitly speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars,” he clarified, adding that India’s past responses were often “restrained and constrained” by respect for international boundaries.

His pointed response came amid growing unrest within the Congress over his recent comments lauding India's more assertive military actions post-terror attacks — particularly the 2016 Uri surgical strike and the 2019 Balakot airstrike.

Speaking in Panama City, Tharoor had said,“What has changed in recent years is that the terrorists have also realised they will have a price to pay. Let there be no doubt. When, for the first time, India breached the Line of Control to conduct a surgical strike... that was already something we had not done before.”

He further stated, “This time, we have not only crossed the Line of Control and the international border, but struck deep into the Punjabi heartland of Pakistan.” These comments appeared to strike a chord with some government supporters, but inside the Congress, they ignited sharp criticism.

Congress leader Udit Raj accused Tharoor of echoing BJP propaganda.
“Shashi Tharoor is doing Modi ji's chamchagiri more than BJP leaders. He has become the spokesperson for their publicity stunts,” he said.

Pawan Khera followed suit by sharing an excerpt from Tharoor’s own book, where the MP had previously slammed the “shameless exploitation” of the 2016 surgical strikes for political gain. He also posted a video of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stating that surgical strikes were conducted under the UPA government but kept confidential.

“CC,” Khera wrote cryptically, tagging Tharoor in the post. He then posted a report quoting External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who had acknowledged that similar operations were carried out earlier but made public only recently.
Jairam Ramesh, took a literary jab, posting a line from a well-known poem:
“Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive...”

This is not Tharoor’s first clash with the Congress leadership. Removed as party spokesperson in 2014 for praising Prime Minister Modi, he later joined the G-23 group of dissenters calling for internal reform and even challenged Mallikarjun Kharge for the Congress presidency in 2022. While Kharge won, Tharoor’s tally of over 1,000 votes marked a significant showing against a Gandhi-backed candidate.

Tharoor, however, maintained that he was speaking in a personal capacity. “I am not a party spokesperson,” he stated, and added that he would continue to carry out the responsibilities entrusted to him.

Interestingly, it was the government — not the Congress — that selected Tharoor to lead one of seven Indian delegations for global outreach after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. The Congress distanced itself from the decision, saying it had not recommended Tharoor’s name. He responded calmly, saying the party was entitled to its view on his capabilities.​