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Shashi Tharoor defends his praise over Modi's stance on killing of 3 Indian sailors
Tharoor hit back at his own Congress party, pointing out that his statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors was “being twisted into a partisan political controversy"
- PUBLISHED: Sun 21 Jun 2026, 5:20 PM
Veteran Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, the party’s MP from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala since 2009, was dubbed as “a devotee of ‘Maha-Manaav Modi’” (‘superman’ Modi) by Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, for having “heard what the Indian Prime Minister had not even said.”
But Tharoor hit back at his own party, pointing out that his statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors was “being twisted into a partisan political controversy.”
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Tharoor said concern for “Indian lives should unite us, not divide us. Three Indians lost their lives. My remarks were about the safety of our citizens and the principle that civilian seafarers should never be targets of military action. If some people are more interested in scoring political points than addressing that concern, that says more about them than it does about me,” he said on ‘X’. “Concern for Indian lives should unite us, not divide us.”
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BJP backs Tharoor
The BJP quickly jumped into the fray, backing Tharoor and claiming that his “open praise” for Modi exposed Rahul Gandhi, the Congress chief. "Shashi Tharoor has exposed Rahul Gandhi,” BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari posted on ‘X’.
“Congress leaders are openly praising PM @narendramodi ji's diplomacy! When it comes to protecting India's national interest PM Modi comes first. When it comes to speaking against India's national interest Rahul Gandhi leaves everyone behind.”
But Khera pointed out that the official Ministry of External affairs readout of Modi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 meet did not refer to it.
“There is no mention of the cold-blooded killing of three Indian sailors by the United States in the Gulf of Oman,” Khera said on ‘X’.
“This was the first Modi-Trump meeting after Operation Sindoor, yet there is no indication that Modi challenged Trump's repeated claim - now made over 120 times - that he secured a ceasefire by threatening India with trade consequences.
There is no mention of the attack on Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, India's guest during Milan-2026, in what is effectively India's strategic backyard.
Assertions, pushback
“And yet, Tharoor ji somehow heard forceful assertions, robust pushback, and uncompromising diplomacy that never made it into the official record,” continued Khera.
“Perhaps the rest of us are constrained by ordinary human senses. For devotees of the 'Maha-Maanav Modi', the less he says, the more they hear.”
Tharoor claimed Modi had conveyed India's concerns to Trump about the safety of civilian sailors amid the ongoing conflicts, stressing that commercial seafarers should not become targets during wartime.
“PM Modi made his point clear both in the public and private meetings with the President. It is important to convey the message that in wartime, civilian sailors on commercial ships should not be targets of combat. They are not soldiers, and that is the message PM Modi conveyed," Tharoor said.
Referring to India's concerns over the safety of its seafarers, the Congress MP said: "Beyond the general concern, we have Indian sailors on Indian-flagged vessels and others. If they are violating your blockade, find some other way of stopping them, but do not kill people."
