BJP rare praise for Shashi Tharoor post egg on face, 19 Mar

Is everything well—or not so well—between the Congress and its MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor? The erudite Congress MP has now praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the second time since February.

On Tuesday, at the Raisina Dialogue 2025, Tharoor admitted he was left with “egg on his face” for criticising India’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war. He acknowledged that India’s neutrality meant the country “actually has a prime minister who can hug both the president of Ukraine and the president of Russia.”

BJP leaders quickly seized on Tharoor’s remarks to target Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

What Shashi Tharoor Said on Russia-Ukraine War?

At the Raisina Dialogue 2025, Tharoor conceded that he was left with “an egg on his face” for opposing India’s stance when the Russia-Ukraine war broke out. He noted that, due to the adopted policy, the country is now in a position to contribute to lasting peace.

Shashi Tharoor had criticized India’s stance when Russia attacked Ukraine and called for condemnation of the aggression. “I am still wiping the egg off my face because I am one person in the parliamentary debate who actually criticized the Indian position at the time back in February 2022,” Tharoor said on Tuesday.

“Well, three years later, it does look like I am the one with the egg on my face because clearly, the policy has meant that India has actually a prime minister who can hug both the president of Ukraine and the president in Moscow two weeks apart and be accepted in both places,” he said during the session titled ‘Waging Peace: Looking Back to Look Ahead’.

Therefore, Tharoor said that India is in a position where it can make a difference to a lasting peace if it is required in ways that very few countries would be able to.

BJP leaders’ Rare Praise for Shashi Tharoor

BJP leader Sambit Patra on Wednesday said that Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi should ‘appreciate’ Shashi Tharoor’s stand on India’s position on the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

“Shashi Tharoor understands diplomacy; he has been in the UN for a very long time. He has appreciated PM Modi’s stand in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Other leaders of Congress should also learn from Shashi Tharoor instead of speaking against PM Modi and the nation every time. Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi should come forward and appreciate Shashi Tharoor’s stand,” Patra told reporters.

Sambit Patra was joined by Ravi Shankar Prasad, who remarked ‘better late than never’ on Tharoor’s acknowledgement.

“He (Shashi Tharoor) thinks that the statements he made regarding the Russia-Ukraine war in the past were not right. Better late than never. The way Shashi Tharoor has admitted, other leaders of Congress should do the same,” Prasad told reports on Wednesday.

Shashi Tharoor’s Praise for PM Modi

Shashi Tharoor has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on several occasions:

Modi’s Outreach to ‘Islamic World’ (July 2023)

Shashi Tharoor praised Modi‘s outreach efforts to the Islamic world, describing them as “exemplary.” He noted that India’s relations with major Muslim countries have improved significantly under Modi’s leadership.

Modi’s US Visit (February 2025)

Shashi Tharoor commended Modi‘s achievements during his visit to the United States, highlighting progress in trade negotiations and defence cooperation. He welcomed the revival of trade talks between India and the US.

Modi’s Russia-Ukraine Conflict Policy (March 2025)

Tharoor acknowledged that India’s neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, led by Modi, has positioned India as a key player in fostering peace. He admitted that his initial criticism of India’s stance was misplaced.

Is All Well Between Tharoor and Congress?

Shashi Tharoor, the four-time Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram, has been at the centre of speculation regarding his future within the Congress party.

Recently, Tharoor, who contested his last Lok Sabha Elections in 2024, intimated that he has “other options” if the party no longer requires his services, thereby fuelling rumours of a potential departure.

This development followed Tharoor praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala, which did not align with the Congress’s stance.

Despite these tensions, Rahul Gandhi convened a meeting with Shashi Tharoor and other Kerala leaders to address these issues. Subsequent to the meeting, Rahul Gandhi posted on social media that the party’s leaders in Kerala “stand as one,” suggesting that all is well.

However, Tharoor’s dissatisfaction with being sidelined within the party remains a concern. He expressed frustration over not being assigned a clear role within the party and being denied opportunities in major debates.

However, Tharoor has downplayed rumours of a rift, stating that he is yet to understand the controversy surrounding his remarks.