Amid diplomatic delegation row, Shashi Tharoor recalls PM Narasimha Rao’s outreach to Vajpayee

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s decision to join the government-led diplomatic outreach following Operation Sindoor has reignited tensions within his party—especially as he was not among the names officially recommended by the Congress. In an editorial for 'The Hindu' on Tuesday, Tharoor defended his participation by recalling a landmark moment from India’s diplomatic history: when Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao chose Opposition leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee to present India’s case on Kashmir at a United Nations session in Geneva in 1994.

Tharoor recounted how Vajpayee had later spoken of Pakistan’s surprise at seeing an Indian Opposition leader representing the country at such a critical forum. “Such,” Tharoor quoted Vajpayee as saying, “is our vichitra loktantra — as clamorous and chaotic as it is miraculous and mesmerising.”

“Sadly, this episode has not repeated in the last three decades as our politics has turned even more rancorous and bitter,” he said.

Tharoor, who has been appointed by the Centre to lead one of seven multi-party delegations travelling to 32 countries to explain India’s position on Pakistan-backed terrorism, was not on the list of nominees submitted by the Congress. His inclusion—along with that of Manish Tewari, Amar Singh, and Salman Khurshid, none of whom were among the four names proposed by the party—has led to accusations that the BJP-led government bypassed the Congress leadership.

Despite criticism from within the party, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said his decision was motivated by national interest rather than political calculations. “Terrorism is a scourge that demands a decisive, well-coordinated response, not knee-jerk reactions shaped by party ideologies,” he said, recalling how the Opposition, led by Sonia Gandhi, had supported the government’s military response during the Kargil conflict in 1999.

“When I first became Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, I declared that there is no such thing as a Congress foreign policy and a BJP foreign policy; there is only Indian foreign policy, and Indian national interests,” he added.

The Congress, meanwhile, has accused the government of politicising the selection process. Party communications head Jairam Ramesh said that of the four names it submitted—Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Raja Warring—only Sharma was included in the government’s final list.

“This proves the complete insincerity of the Modi government and shows the cheap political games it always plays on serious national issues,” Ramesh said in a statement, though he added that Congress would not stop its leaders from participating. “Our MPs should listen to their conscience and contribute.”

Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan said the matter should be handled by the party’s central leadership, noting that Tharoor is a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). However, senior leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan urged Tharoor to prioritise party discipline.

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key Congress ally in Kerala, played down the row. “It is India’s stand, and all political parties must support it,” said IUML supremo Sadique Ali Shihab Thangal. Senior leader P K Kunhalikutty also said the mission was about countering terrorism and should not be politicised.

According to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, the seven delegations—comprising 51 political figures from across parties—will visit 32 countries and the EU headquarters in Brussels to build diplomatic pressure on Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Alongside Tharoor, the delegations will be led by Baijayant Panda, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Sanjay Kumar Jha, Shrikant Shinde, Kanimozhi, and Supriya Sule. Each group includes parliamentarians, senior political leaders, and former diplomats. Tharoor said he received a direct invitation from Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who cited his experience in foreign affairs. “I immediately agreed. I see no politics here,” he said.