Shashi Tharoor: Congress’s Maverick Intellectual Who Refuses To Toe Party Line

How do you solve a problem like Shashi Tharoor? This is a question that must be baffling the Congress leadership. The four-time Thiruvananthapuram MP has put his party in the spot more times than can be counted. His latest salvo was the effusive praise of BJP leader LK Advani, whom he described as a ‘true statesman’.

Greeting the BJP veteran on his 98th birthday, Tharoor lauded his commitment to public service, his modesty, and his decency. When the Congress leader was called out on social media for his praise of someone who had sowed the seeds of hatred, courtesy his rath yatra, Tharoor defended Advani, saying it was unfair to reduce his long years of public service to one episode.

Just as Jawaharlal Nehru’s legacy cannot be judged by the China debacle or Indira Gandhi by the Emergency alone, the same courtesy should be extended to Advani, he said. The Congress promptly distanced itself from Tharoor’s statement, saying he speaks for himself.

The party spokesman did not hesitate to add that the fact he can make such statements as a CWC member and an MP is evidence of the Congress’ ‘liberal spirit’. Just a few days ago, Tharoor, in an article on dynastic politics, said one family, that is, the Nehru-Gandhi family, had ‘cemented the idea that political leadership can be a birthright’.

Terming dynastic politics as a grave threat to Indian democracy, Tharoor expounded that the time had come to replace dynasty with meritocracy. Each of Tharoor’s pronouncements is not surprisingly greeted with glee by the BJP camp.

The Congress leader seems to be almost daring his party leadership to take action against him, as was evident during his high praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Operation Sindoor. He went out of his way to laud the military operation, which was in direct contravention to the Congress line, and he also led an all-party delegation to several countries to explain India’s position on Pakistan’s terror infrastructure, though he was not nominated by the Congress.

Tharoor has embarrassed the Kerala unit of the Grand Old Party with his praise of the Pinarayi Vijayan government’s industrial policies and its growth in the start-up sector. Amid the backlash caused by his comments, Tharoor staked claim to the Kerala CM’s post, stating that opinion polls backed him.

The charismatic Congress leader with his impeccable command over English has been a constant thorn in Congress’s flesh. He decided to contest against Mallikarjun Kharge, the party’s official candidate for the Congress president’s post, and bagged a substantial number of votes.

Shashi Tharoor has proved time and again that he will not be silenced. Like the proverbial jack-in-the-box, he pops up much to the chagrin of his party leadership.

Published on: Tuesday, November 11, 2025, 06:37 AM IST