‘Bharat Ki Baat Sunata Hoon’: Congress Leader Manish Tewari’s Poetic Jab After Exclusion From Op Sindoor Debate

Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari on Tuesday posted a patriotic poem on social media, a move widely seen as a pointed response to his exclusion from the list of party speakers for the crucial Lok Sabha debate on ‘Operation Sindoor’. The development highlights an apparent rift within the Congress party over its stance on the government’s recent military and diplomatic actions against cross-border terrorism.

On Tuesday morning, hours after reports confirmed his exclusion, Tewari took to his official X handle to post lyrics from a classic patriotic song. “Hai Preet jahaan ki reet sada, Main geet wahan ke gaata hoon, Bharat ka rehne waala hoon, Bharat ki baat sunata hoon,” he wrote, which translates to, “Where love is the tradition forever, I sing the songs of that land. I am a resident of India, and I speak of India’s glory.”

The post came after it was revealed that both Tewari and fellow Congress MP Shashi Tharoor would not be speaking during the high-profile debate. This is significant as both leaders were part of official delegations sent abroad by the government to explain India’s position on ‘Operation Sindoor’ to partner countries. Sources cited by news agency ANI claimed Tewari had requested the party to allow him to speak.

Meanwhile, sources suggested that the Congress leadership wanted Tharoor to question the operation, but he reportedly declined, stating that he believed India’s actions were successful. When allegedly pressed to toe the party line, Tharoor chose not to speak in Parliament instead. When reporters questioned him about the matter, he simply replied, “Maunvrat, maunvrat” (vow of silence).

The fiery debate on the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent ‘Operation Sindoor’ began in Parliament on Monday. The Opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi, has focused its criticism on alleged intelligence failures and has cited US President Donald Trump’s claims of mediating a ceasefire to attack the government’s foreign policy.

The government has vehemently rejected these claims. On Monday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told the Lok Sabha that India had garnered widespread international support for its actions and would not bow to any form of blackmail.