Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, June 2: The Congress seems to be digging its own grave by criticising their own party leaders who have participated in the Narendra Modi government-sponsored all party delegations to various countries to expose Pakistan’s continued support to terrorism and India’s views on the Pahalgam terror attack and the consequent Indian army’s “Operation Sindoor” against the terror outfits in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).
After the former diplomat Shashi Tharoor, another Congress stalwart Salman Khurshid, a member of a cross-party delegation travelling to partner nations as part of India’s outreach, on Monday slammed critics, including those from his party, questioning opposition MPs’ participation in these missions and even questioned their patriotism.
Mr Khurshid reacted to constant Congress criticism over the all-party delegations sent to foreign countries to highlight India’s anti-terror stand, criticising the party for “calculating political allegiances” during the mission against terrorism. “When on a mission against terrorism, to carry India’s message to the world, it is distressing that people at home are calculating political allegiances… is it so difficult to be patriotic?” he asked on X.
The sharp remark follows praise days earlier for the BJP-led federal government’s August 2019 decision to scrap Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Khurshid told Indonesia think tanks abrogation of a law that “gave the impression Kashmir was separate from India” resulted in prosperity for J&K.
Mr Khurshid is part of a delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha that has visited South Korea, Singapore, Japan, and Indonesia, and is presently in Malaysia. Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur, he explained his X post was meant to call out people who “are not very encouraging when you want to do something for the nation.”
“People keep saying, ‘what are you doing in a delegation where there are people from the BJP’. What we are doing is what is needed for the country. No matter which party you are from, today what is needed is a single voice to speak for the nation… the question is to be asked of those saying these things I believe are not very encouraging when you want to do something for the nation.”
“People are also saying ‘he (referring to himself) is supporting so-and-so and is not supporting so-and-so’. But if I wanted to oppose the government I would stay at home. I have come to speak for India… whoever speaks for India, and in whichever way they speak, we are here to support them.” “… We are here for India first… India and only India,” Mr Khurshid said.
Mr Khurshid said, “What we are doing here is what is needed for the country. No matter which party you are from, today what is needed is a single voice to speak in favour of the nation and that is what we are doing here.” “I am not here to oppose the Indian government. I have come here to speak for India. For me, India and only India is first.”
Although the Congress has publicly said it will back the government in any attempts to combat the spectre of terrorism, home and abroad, the party is believed to be unhappy over its key figures – five, including Mr Khurshid, Shashi Tharoor, and Anand Sharma – becoming de facto BJP spokespersons. A former External Affairs Minister, he said in Malaysia that India had a key global role today and that it is not ‘greedy’ for Pakistan territory, which was a clear swipe over Pak’s illegal occupation of Kashmir.
Salman Khurshid’s responses on ‘political allegiances’ comes amid criticism of opposition MPs on these anti-terrorism delegations, particularly the Congress’ Shashi Tharoor, who faces rumours about his party future. Mr Tharoor is leading a team to the United States, Brazil, and other nations.
Reacting to Khurshid’s remark, BJP leader Amit Malviya said the sentiment was tragic and deeply ironic. “It reflects the cost of a warped idea of secularism that the Congress party has long championed, one that confuses the urgent need to confront terror with a compulsive instinct to appease. In doing so, they have not only diluted the moral clarity required to fight extremism, but have also compromised national security in the name of vote-bank politics,” he said.
“What makes this all the more tragic is the Congress party’s belief that it is somehow divinely entitled to rule, a notion so deeply ingrained that it often puts the party’s partisan interests above the country’s welfare. Time and again, we have seen national interest sacrificed at the altar of political expediency, wrapped in lofty rhetoric but hollow in principle.” Malviya further accused the Congress of bringing in communal politics during India’s fight against terrorism, emboldening enemies of the state and “betraying” the nation.
Those jabbing Mr Tharoor include senior Congress leaders, including party communication boss Jairam Ramesh and spokesperson Pawan Khera, who have called out what they think is the former diplomat’s unnecessary praise for the ruling BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Asked about those jabs, Mr Tharoor too said he was more focused on conveying India’s message on terrorism, and said he would only speak to his colleagues once he returns.
The seven anti-terrorism delegations are meant to carry India’s revised doctrine on terrorism after Pahalgam – an attack in which a Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba killed 26 people.
India responded to that attack with precision military strikes targeting only terror camps – four in Pak and five in PoK but Islamabad (and Rawalpindi, the Pak Army HQ) retaliated by launching drones and missiles at military and civilian centres in western India.
The missiles and drones were neutralised or shot down by India’s air defences and, after 100 hours of military conflict, Pak sought a ceasefire. India accepted the ceasefire request but warned Pak against resuming hostilities, and said it would no longer tolerate cross-border attacks.
