Shashi Tharoor Rejects 'Pro-Modi' Tag, Says Principles Intact And No Shift In Loyalty

Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, in an exclusive interaction with NDTV, has firmly rejected accusations that his public praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicates a shift in political loyalty or has contributed to internal friction within the Indian National Congress.

Responding to questions about whether he is seen as a "friend" of the Prime Minister and whether that perception has fuelled disputes within the Congress, Tharoor said his political conduct has remained consistent throughout his 17 years in public life.

"Have you ever seen me in my 17 years in politics saying anything negative about anybody?" he asked. "Even people who have been vicious and nasty to me, I have not said anything to them negatively."

Addressing charges that his remarks signalled a political shift, he said, "It doesn't mean you're switching sides. It doesn't. I haven't switched anywhere. Have you seen me switching anywhere?"

Tharoor maintained that he has always expressed his views "freely and frankly" but emphasised that he has adhered to party discipline in Parliament. "In Parliament, I have very strictly stuck to the party whip, where there have been differences of opinion. Sometimes when it was unavoidable, I've aired them publicly."

He added that most differences were handled internally. "Most of the time, I've kept my views to myself in public, as I've done in Parliament, and then when necessary, spoken privately inside to appropriate party circles, as I also did earlier this year with my party leadership. To my mind, that is a perfectly acceptable way of going."

Criticising what he described as media overreaction, Tharoor pointed to his long public record. "People don't read enough in our country. I have a very long paper trail. My convictions, values and principles have been unchanged for almost half a century. I've been writing articles and books. There are 20 books. Show me where I've been inconsistent. Where have I gone from one to the other? I've always had a certain set of convictions."

Referring to a recent social media post, he cited C. Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji, in the context of the redevelopment of Delhi's Lutyens' zone and the symbolic replacement of colonial-era iconography. Tharoor had praised the decision to replace a colonial statue in the Lutyens' area with a bust of Rajagopalachari at Rashtrapati Bhavan, highlighting the latter's intellectual independence and liberal convictions.

"I talked about them as recently as a tweet a couple of days ago on Rajaji, where I pointed out the kinds of things he believed in that I happen to also believe in. And those have been my beliefs," Tharoor said. "His party no longer exists, or I might have been in it, but his party doesn't exist. So where did I find the closest to it? The Congress, which is a big tent party and which has a whole range of different voices and opinions available within it, and I'm one of them too."

Remarks That Sparked Internal Disquiet

The controversy surrounding Tharoor's statements has been building over several months, with some party leaders expressing discomfort over what they see as his repeated public praise of the Prime Minister and certain government initiatives.

Tharoor has on multiple occasions acknowledged aspects of the Modi government's foreign policy outreach and diplomatic engagements, describing India's global positioning in positive terms. While he has simultaneously maintained criticism of the government on other policy fronts, sections within the Congress have argued that such praise dilutes the party's broader opposition narrative.

His comments on India's international summits and high-level diplomatic engagements, often framed as recognition of India's national interest rather than partisan endorsement, have triggered rebuttals from some Congress figures who clarified that his remarks did not reflect the official party line.

The recent reference to Rajagopalachari in the context of changes within Delhi's Lutyens' zone, an area historically associated with colonial-era architecture and political power, also drew attention. While Tharoor framed his praise as consistent with his long-standing admiration for Rajaji's liberal and reformist ideals, critics interpreted it as aligning with the government's broader symbolic restructuring of national spaces.

For his part, Tharoor insists there is no contradiction. "Show me where I've been inconsistent," he said, reiterating that his principles have remained unchanged and that expressing a considered view on specific issues does not amount to crossing party lines.