PM Modi uses a Shashi Tharoor reference to tear into Congress: 'Some barred from speaking in Parliament'

The Congress' attempt to target the Centre over Operation Sindoor seemed to backfire in Parliament as Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a sharp counterattack on Tuesday. In his response to the debate, the Prime Minister not only recalled the Opposition's historical baggage but also took a series of veiled digs at internal rifts within the party. During his address, PM Modi made pointed remarks about the internal tensions in the Congress, saying, “some are stopped from speaking in Parliament” and "some object if you praise India" -- widely seen as references to Shashi Tharoor's recent disagreements with certain sections of his own party.

These comments sparked immediate attention, especially given the context of Tharoor’s growing distance from the Congress high command.

https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1950203976915313135?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1950203976915313135%7Ctwgr%5Efdced7210d73499c146fbc41a67700dd6a5a4a40%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com%2Fnews%2Findia%2Fpm-modi-uses-a-shashi-tharoor-reference-to-attack-congress-some-barred-from-speaking-in-parliament-2025-07-29-1001113

"What is sad and surprising is that those who consider themselves tall leaders of Congress are rattled by the fact that why India's perspective was presented before the world. Perhaps a few leaders have been prohibited from speaking in the House," he said during his speech on Operation Sindoor.

Tharoor's cold war with Congress

Although the Congress did not block Tharoor from joining the government-led delegations abroad as part of the Operation Sindoor outreach, it chose not to nominate him for any official party role in the effort. The government, however, invited him to lead the delegation to the United States and other countries — a move that only deepened existing tensions between Tharoor and the party leadership. His open praise for the government’s handling of Operation Sindoor further strained the relationship.

Amid speculation over whether Tharoor would be allowed to speak in the Operation Sindoor debate in Parliament, he ultimately remained silent. Reports claimed the Thiruvananthapuram MP had been asked by the party whether he wanted to speak, but he declined. His absence from the debate was seen as symbolic of the internal unease.

He chose to stay mum even after PM Modi's speech in the Parliament. When asked by mediapersons about PM Modi's apparent reference to him, Tharoor said, "There would be a lot of people willing to talk to the press. I am not".

https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1950203976915313135?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1950203976915313135%7Ctwgr%5Efdced7210d73499c146fbc41a67700dd6a5a4a40%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com%2Fnews%2Findia%2Fpm-modi-uses-a-shashi-tharoor-reference-to-attack-congress-some-barred-from-speaking-in-parliament-2025-07-29-1001113

Another Congress miffed with party

Former Union Minister and Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari, who was also left out of the main debate despite being part of the Operation Sindoor outreach abroad, took to X (formerly Twitter) with a cryptic post:

"Hai preet jahaan ki reet sada, main geet wahaan ke gaata hoon, Bharat ka rehne waala hoon, Bharat ki baat sunata hoon. Jai Hind."
When asked to elaborate, he replied with a telling line: "There is a saying in English, 'If you don't understand my silence, you will never understand my words’."

What began as an effort by the Congress to question the government’s handling of the Pahalgam terror attack and its aftermath has, instead, exposed internal fractures and leadership dilemmas. As the ruling BJP takes control of the Operation Sindoor narrative both at home and abroad, the Congress appears to be grappling with both political messaging and party unity.