Shashi Tharoor’s Cryptic Message Amid Congress Rift, Says ‘Don’t Ask Permission to Fly’
Amid an escalating rift within the Congress party, senior leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor today shared a cryptic message on social media, just hours after Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge publicly admonished him for repeatedly praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tharoor’s post on X (formerly Twitter) featured the quote, “Don’t ask permission to fly. The wings are yours, and the sky belongs to no one,” widely interpreted as a subtle dig at his party’s leadership for their continuous criticism.
The quote, implying that individuals should pursue their goals without seeking external approval, comes after Kharge slammed Tharoor for calling PM Modi a “prime asset for India.” Kharge, while acknowledging Tharoor’s eloquent language, remarked that “for some people, Modi comes first,” contrasting it with the party’s stance of “country first.” Kharge’s comments were made in the context of Tharoor’s recent role in leading an all-party delegation abroad for India’s “Operation Sindoor” outreach, a mission Kharge clarified was a statement of national unity and interest, not a sign of “leaping to join” the BJP.
Tharoor’s commendation of the Prime Minister during the “Operation Sindoor” outreach had previously drawn severe criticism from his Congress colleagues, particularly after he appeared to downplay surgical strikes conducted during the UPA regime while praising the Modi government’s handling of such situations.
The veteran MP, however, had previously rebutted his critics, accusing “critics and trolls” of distorting his views and emphasizing that he had “better things to do.”
This latest public exchange follows Tharoor’s recent admission of differences with the Congress brass, even as he attempted to downplay any significant rift with the leadership or the party cadre. Tharoor had met Prime Minister Modi on June 11 at the latter’s residence after completing the “Operation Sindoor” global outreach, where seven multi-party delegations tasked with the same objective also met the Prime Minister.
