NEW DELHI: "Who lives if India dies?" Congress MP Shashi Tharoor invoked Jawaharlal Nehru 's famous words while responding to a high school student's question about party loyalty at an event in Kochi on Saturday.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP, who has been facing criticism within the Congress, affirmed that national interests must transcend party lines.
"Politics is, unfortunately or otherwise, in any democracy, about competition. And as a result, when people like me say that we respect our parties—we have certain values and convictions that keep us in our parties—but we need to cooperate with other parties in the interests of national security," the Thiruvananthapuram MP added.
Tharoor emphasized that, for him, the nation comes first and parties are merely a means of improving the country.
"The question you asked—sometimes parties feel that this is disloyalty to them, and that becomes a big problem. Which is your first loyalty? To my mind, the nation comes first. Parties are a means of making the nation better. So to my mind, whichever party you belong to, the objective of that party is to create a better India in its own way. Now, parties have every right to disagree about the best way of doing that—the best way of making a better India."
"In our Parliament today, there are 46 political parties . There must be some issues on which they all unite. That's certainly my passionate conviction. A lot of people have been very critical of me because of the stand I've taken—supporting our armed forces and our government over what happened recently in our country and on our borders. But I will stand my ground because I believe this is the right thing for the country. And when I speak of India, I speak for all Indians, not just those who may like my party," he said.
Sharing his interaction with the student, Tharoor noted that while he's been avoiding political discussions, he felt compelled to address a student's question.
"In Kochi today, I was asked inevitable question by a high school student. While I have been steering clear of such political discussions in public, I felt a student deserved a response," he said in his post on X.
The friction between Tharoor and the Congress leadership intensified following his role in Operation Sindoor and his leadership of an all-party delegation to the United States to present India's position on Pakistan and terrorism. His article praising Modi's "energy" and "dynamism" in diplomatic affairs, which was later shared by the Prime Minister's Office, further strained relations with his party.
Tharoor’s relationship with the Congress leadership has been under strain since he contested the party president election against Mallikarjun Kharge. The friction reportedly intensified when his name did not appear on the list of Congress leaders suggested for the Union government's Operation Sindoor outreach.
Despite this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi later invited Tharoor to lead a delegation to the United States and other countries in the Americas. Tharoor's public statements, including those interpreted as favourable towards the Prime Minister, have also caused discomfort within the Congress’s Kerala unit.
The rift came into sharper focus following his recent remarks and social media posts that appeared to challenge the party’s leadership.
Tensions further escalated after Tharoor praised PM Modi’s diplomacy during Operation Sindoor in an article describing his “energy” and “dynamism” as assets for India’s global standing. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) shared the piece, triggering questions about Tharoor’s loyalty. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge indirectly rebuked him, suggesting that his praise for PM Modi was inappropriate.
"We say nation first, but some consider Modi first, country later. What can we do about that?" Kharge said. Tharoor, however, clarified that his remarks reflected national interest—not support for the BJP.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP, who has been facing criticism within the Congress, affirmed that national interests must transcend party lines.
"Politics is, unfortunately or otherwise, in any democracy, about competition. And as a result, when people like me say that we respect our parties—we have certain values and convictions that keep us in our parties—but we need to cooperate with other parties in the interests of national security," the Thiruvananthapuram MP added.
In Kochi today, I was asking inevitable question by a high school student. While I have been steering clear of such political discussions in public, I felt a student deserved a response: pic.twitter.com/AIUpDBl0Kf
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 19, 2025
Tharoor emphasized that, for him, the nation comes first and parties are merely a means of improving the country.
"The question you asked—sometimes parties feel that this is disloyalty to them, and that becomes a big problem. Which is your first loyalty? To my mind, the nation comes first. Parties are a means of making the nation better. So to my mind, whichever party you belong to, the objective of that party is to create a better India in its own way. Now, parties have every right to disagree about the best way of doing that—the best way of making a better India."
"In our Parliament today, there are 46 political parties . There must be some issues on which they all unite. That's certainly my passionate conviction. A lot of people have been very critical of me because of the stand I've taken—supporting our armed forces and our government over what happened recently in our country and on our borders. But I will stand my ground because I believe this is the right thing for the country. And when I speak of India, I speak for all Indians, not just those who may like my party," he said.
Sharing his interaction with the student, Tharoor noted that while he's been avoiding political discussions, he felt compelled to address a student's question.
"In Kochi today, I was asked inevitable question by a high school student. While I have been steering clear of such political discussions in public, I felt a student deserved a response," he said in his post on X.
The friction between Tharoor and the Congress leadership intensified following his role in Operation Sindoor and his leadership of an all-party delegation to the United States to present India's position on Pakistan and terrorism. His article praising Modi's "energy" and "dynamism" in diplomatic affairs, which was later shared by the Prime Minister's Office, further strained relations with his party.
Tharoor’s relationship with the Congress leadership has been under strain since he contested the party president election against Mallikarjun Kharge. The friction reportedly intensified when his name did not appear on the list of Congress leaders suggested for the Union government's Operation Sindoor outreach.
Despite this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi later invited Tharoor to lead a delegation to the United States and other countries in the Americas. Tharoor's public statements, including those interpreted as favourable towards the Prime Minister, have also caused discomfort within the Congress’s Kerala unit.
The rift came into sharper focus following his recent remarks and social media posts that appeared to challenge the party’s leadership.
Tensions further escalated after Tharoor praised PM Modi’s diplomacy during Operation Sindoor in an article describing his “energy” and “dynamism” as assets for India’s global standing. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) shared the piece, triggering questions about Tharoor’s loyalty. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge indirectly rebuked him, suggesting that his praise for PM Modi was inappropriate.
"We say nation first, but some consider Modi first, country later. What can we do about that?" Kharge said. Tharoor, however, clarified that his remarks reflected national interest—not support for the BJP.
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