New Delhi: At a time when Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor’s rift with the Congress leadership has become pronounced, the Prime Minister’s Office Monday shared an opinion piece by him on the success of Operation Sindoor’s global outreach achieved through the visits of multi-party delegations.
In the piece published by The Hindu, Tharoor—who led a nine-member delegation to the United States, Panama, Guyana, Brazil and Colombia—lauded the government’s initiative, saying it was “vital in shaping global perceptions and consolidating international support”.
Tharoor also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the piece and called the diplomatic outreach a moment of national resolve and effective communication.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remains a prime asset for India on the global stage, but deserves greater backing…The lessons learned—the power of unity, the efficacy of clear communication, the strategic value of soft power, and the imperative of sustained public diplomacy—will undoubtedly serve as guiding principles as India navigates an increasingly complex international landscape,” wrote Tharoor.
Lok Sabha MP and former Union Minister Dr. @shashitharoor writes- Lessons from Operation Sindoor’s global outreach.https://t.co/bROpQsdtsP
via NaMo App pic.twitter.com/TxEUelNbww
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 23, 2025
The PMO’s social media post came as fresh fodder for Tharoor’s detractors in the party. His ties with the Congress first took a hit earlier this year after he praised the Left-led Kerala government’s new industrial policy in a newspaper column.
As leaders of the Kerala Congress attacked him over the piece, Tharoor defended himself, saying while he does not believe that the overall industrial climate of the state has changed “when something good emerges, even if only in one area, it is petty not to acknowledge it”.
Matters came to a head when Tharoor dismissed US President Donald Trump’s claim that his administration brokered a truce between India and Pakistan after a military conflict broke out between the two following India’s airstrikes on terror bases in Pakistan 7 May. The Congress, at that point, wanted to corner the Modi government over Trump’s claims.
Subsequently, Tharoor accepted the Centre’s invitation to lead a multi-party delegation to world capitals to garner support for India’s Operation Sindoor and its fight against terror.The Congress leadership claimed he did so without consulting the party, which had nominated other leaders to join the delegations.
Nevertheless, Tharoor did not just lead one delegation, but also stirred the pot further by saying that India crossed the Line of Control to carry out surgical strikes on a terror base “for the first time” under the Narendra Modi government in 2016.
Last week, Tharoor acknowledged his differences of opinion with the “current Congress leadership”. Tharoor also said he was not invited to campaign for the party in the Nilambur bypolls. “I do not go where I am not invited,” he told reporters. However, on being asked whether he was going to leave the party, he said he was “not going anywhere”.
“I am a member of the Congress party. Let the party decide what it thinks about me,” he said.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
Also Read: Excluded by Congress, Shashi Tharoor says ‘honoured’ by govt’s invitation to join all-party delegation
