Congress Likely to Gag Tharoor in Upcoming Parliament Session

Thiruvananthapuram: As the monsoon session of Parliament approaching, the Congress party is holding internal discussions on how to handle growing friction with MP Shashi Tharoor, whose recent actions are being viewed as going against the party line. Senior leaders are reportedly considering measures to prevent Tharoor from speaking on behalf of Congress. One proposal under discussion is the issuance of a whip to silence him, a move that, if defied, could result in the loss of his Lok Sabha membership.

However, party insiders are wary that such action might backfire. Tharoor has already alleged that he is being denied opportunities to speak in Parliament, claiming that time is being allocated to MPs who are not even fluent in the language. If expelled or sidelined, Tharoor could portray himself as a victim of internal suppression, which may generate public sympathy and complicate the party’s efforts to contain the fallout.

In the upcoming Parliament session, the BJP is expected to allow leaders like Shashi Tharoor to speak about their recent foreign visits related to Operation Sindoor. BJP leaders reportedly believe this could further expose internal cracks within the Congress. To avoid giving Tharoor an opportunity to claim exclusion, the Congress included his name in a recent parliamentary party meeting—even though he was not in the country at the time.

In Kerala, meanwhile, the Congress leadership has taken a hands-off approach, leaving the Tharoor issue to the party high command. His repeated public praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with his recent critique of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi over the Emergency, have further alienated him from state party leaders. His role in party affairs in Kerala has now been significantly curtailed.

He has been fully excluded from party programmes in Kerala. Even though Tharoor was present in Kochi on Saturday, he was not invited to a protest organised by the Ernakulam District Congress Committee. Senior Congress figures, including Mallikarjun Kharge, K.C. Venugopal, and K. Muraleedharan, have openly mocked him. MP Manickam Tagore ridiculed Tharoor by sharing an image of predatory bird, while the Congress party’s own mouthpiece published an article labeling him "opportunistic."

Amid these developments, Tharoor reaffirmed that for him, the nation comes first—even above the party. He said that in matters of national interest, it is sometimes necessary to work across party lines, even if this is misunderstood as disloyalty. He made these remarks during the second annual meeting of the Council for Community Cooperation. Tharoor also said that he speaks not just for his party but for all Indians.

Responding to criticism over his article on the Emergency, Tharoor clarified that he had not attacked the Gandhi family. He said the views expressed were consistent with those published in his book from 1997, and the article merely discussed historical events and individuals. Those who are attacking him now, he said, likely have not read it.

Regarding his absence from recent Congress events in Kochi, Tharoor downplayed the matter, stating that there were no special reasons for it and that the two events he had attended recently were based on direct invitations.