New Delhi: A public exchange has erupted between senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, with both trading letters over foreign policy and ideological positions.
Aiyar said he had criticised Tharoor’s remarks made during a TV debate on the ongoing tensions involving Iran, Israel and the United States. In his letter, Aiyar recalled that he voted for Tharoor in the Congress president election and, even after Tharoor’s defeat, argued that party chief Mallikarjun Kharge should give him a “respectable place” and recognise his democratic right to contest.
Aiyar alleged that the fallout of that support was personal: he claimed that from then on, the “Sonia family” and Kharge refused to meet him, and said he now regrets backing Tharoor. He also disagreed with Tharoor’s comments about External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar being overly cautious in criticising the US, and argued that as a parliamentary standing committee chair, Tharoor should state his position on foreign policy.
Aiyar further said Tharoor’s stance on allowing women into the Sabarimala temple raised questions about his ideology.
In his reply, Tharoor said differences of opinion are normal in a strong democracy and maintained that his views on international issues reflect India’s interests from a clear nationalist perspective. He said acting with an eye on the economy and diplomacy should not be seen as moral surrender but as responsible governance, and added that his participation in an all-party delegation to explain “Operation Sindoor” abroad was undertaken in a personal capacity. On Sabarimala, Tharoor said he supported the Congress party’s official position, and noted that he had backed Aiyar in the past, including when Aiyar faced disciplinary action, adding he had no regrets about the situation changing when Aiyar was suspended from his post.
