In a clear and categorical statement, senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday rejected the “Veer Savarkar International Impact Award 2025”, saying he had never agreed to receive it and would not attend the ceremony.
Tharoor criticised the organisers for announcing his name without seeking his consent. “It was irresponsible on the part of the organisers to announce my name without my having agreed to receive it,” he said, calling the situation entirely avoidable.
Organisers Announced His Name Without Consent, Says Tharoor
Tharoor explained that he learned about the award only on Tuesday through media reports while he was in Kerala to cast his vote in the local body elections. According to him, neither the purpose of the award nor the profile of the organisation—HRDS India—was communicated to him in advance.
“In the absence of clarifications about the nature of the award, the organisation presenting it, or any other contextual details, the question of my attending the event or accepting the award does not arise,” he wrote on social media platform X.
I have come to know from media reports that I have been named a recipient of the "Veer Savarkar Award," which is to be presented today in Delhi.
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 10, 2025
I only learned about this announcement yesterday in Kerala, where I had gone to vote in the local self-government elections.
There in…
He reiterated that he never accepted the honour and had no plans to attend the event scheduled in New Delhi.
Congress Leaders Oppose Acceptance of Award Named After Savarkar
Earlier in the day, senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan strongly advised that no Congress member should accept any award named after V.D. Savarkar, whom he claimed “bowed before the British.”
Muraleedharan said he trusted that Tharoor would not accept such an award, adding that doing so would embarrass the party. His comments added political weight to the controversy, highlighting the Congress’s long-standing ideological opposition to Savarkar.
Organisers Claim Tharoor Was Informed Earlier
The Highrange Rural Development Society (HRDS) India, which instituted the award, presented a contradicting version.
Aji Krishnan, secretary of HRDS India, claimed that the organisation had informed Tharoor “well in advance” and had even met him personally. “We gave him the list of other recipients. He has not yet informed us that he will not come for the event. Perhaps he is scared as the Congress has made it an issue,” Krishnan alleged on a TV channel.
Tharoor’s refusal, however, firmly denies any acceptance or confirmation from his side.
Kerala Minister Calls It a Personal Choice
Responding to the controversy, Kerala Law Minister P. Rajeev said the decision to accept or reject the award rests solely with Tharoor. He refrained from taking any political stand on the issue.
The Award and the Confusion
The Veer Savarkar International Impact Award 2025 is an inaugural honour created by HRDS India. According to the organisers, Tharoor was selected as one of the recipients.
The situation escalated when Tharoor stated that he had no knowledge of who was giving the award or why he was selected. “Let me find out what it is,” he had said on Tuesday, before issuing a clearer, stronger statement the following day.