The Congress party has made it clear that it does not endorse remarks made by Shashi Tharoor, the Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram, regarding veteran politician Lal Krishna Advani. Pawan Khera, the party’s media and publicity chief, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that Tharoor “speaks for himself” and that the Congress “outrightly dissociates itself from his most recent statement.” Khera further commented that Tharoor’s ongoing practice of making such independent observations as a Congress representative underscores the party’s unique ‘democratic and liberal spirit.’ The situation arose on Advani’s 98th birthday when Tharoor lauded the former Deputy Prime Minister’s role in shaping modern India, accompanied by a photo. This prompted lawyer Sanjay Hegde to criticize Advani’s involvement in the Rath Yatra and the subsequent destruction of the Babri Masjid. Tharoor defended his view, arguing that Advani’s long and distinguished career, which earned him the Bharat Ratna award this year, should not be solely defined by the Ram Janambhoomi movement. He suggested that a leader’s entire tenure, not just one specific event, should form the basis of assessment, a principle he felt should apply equally to Advani. This incident follows a history of Tharoor’s comments, such as his views on dynastic politics, from which the Congress has often had to distance itself.
