Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor Hits Back at Party Critics, Says He Has Better Things to Do Than Respond to Trolls

In a fresh flashpoint revealing growing tension within the Congress, senior party leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor has come out strongly against internal critics who took issue with his recent remarks on India’s military operations across the Line of Control (LoC). Labeling his detractors as “zealots” and “trolls,” Tharoor made it clear that he had no time for “distorted outrage” and preferred to focus on his responsibilities, currently leading a multi-party delegation as part of India’s global outreach under Operation Sindoor.

The controversy erupted after Tharoor, while addressing the Indian diaspora in Panama, highlighted the significance of the 2016 surgical strike and the 2019 Balakot airstrike, describing them as unprecedented responses where India not only crossed the LoC but also breached the international border in retaliation to terror attacks. Tharoor’s statement seemed to suggest a shift in India’s military posture in recent years—comments that did not sit well with his own party colleagues.

Responding to the backlash on social media, Tharoor clarified that his remarks had been misrepresented. He said he was specifically referring to retaliatory strikes against terrorist provocations and not historical wartime operations. “For those zealots fulminating about my supposed ignorance of Indian valour across the LoC,” he wrote, “I was clearly and explicitly speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars.” He added pointedly, “I genuinely have better things to do.”

Despite the late hour and an upcoming journey from Panama to Colombia, Tharoor made time to issue his rebuttal, signaling just how serious he considers the misrepresentation of his words. He insisted that while debate is welcome, distortion is not. “Critics and trolls are welcome to distort my views and words as they see fit,” he noted wryly, before signing off with a curt “Goodnight.”

His remarks stirred visible discomfort within the Congress, with party leaders quick to counter his assertions. Pawan Khera shared a video of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh acknowledging multiple surgical strikes during the UPA era, tagging Tharoor in a sharp rebuke. Another senior Congress leader, Udit Raj, went further, questioning how Tharoor could “denigrate the golden history” of the Congress. Raj reminded that the Indian Army had crossed into Pakistan during the 1965 war, and again during the 1971 conflict that led to the creation of Bangladesh. He also highlighted the UPA-era strikes, stressing that Congress never sought to politicize military achievements.

Tharoor’s critics see his comments as politically naïve at best, and damaging at worst, coming at a time when the Congress is striving to present a united front. However, those close to the MP argue that his intent was not to undermine the party’s legacy but to emphasize a change in India’s strategic behavior in the post-Uri and post-Pulwama context.

As the seasoned diplomat and parliamentarian continues his tour with the Operation Sindoor delegation, his message to critics remains clear: he has more important work on the international stage than to engage in what he views as petty intraparty bickering.