Tharoor’s birthday wish to Advani sparks debate; Congress distances itself

A birthday wish for veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani turned into a political debate when Congress MP Shashi Tharoor called him "a true statesman".

His party quickly distanced itself from his remarks, saying “like always”, Tharoor “speaks for himself”.

Following his birthday wish, X users disagreed with him and pointed out the BJP leader's involvement in the Rath Yatra, which was believed to have led to communal riots across the country after the Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992.

Following the criticism, Tharoor stood firm on his view and defended himself, saying it was unfair to judge a person by a single incident after years of public life. He also compared Advani to former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, stating that both leaders should not be defined by the setbacks during their tenures.

Birthday wish

Veteran right-wing politician and BJP leader LK Advani turned 98 on November 8. The Thiruvananthapuram MP shared a photo of him with Advani and wrote on X, "Wishing the venerable Shri L.K. Advani a very happy 98th birthday! His unwavering commitment to public service, his modesty and decency, and his role in shaping the trajectory of modern India are indelible. A true statesman whose life of service has been exemplary".

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'Dragon seeds of hatred'

However, many of his followers pointed out why they found it very problematic. Senior lawyer Sanjay Hegde, who re-posted Tharoor's message and wrote, "Sorry Mr Tharoor, unleashing the 'dragon seeds of hatred' (to quote Khushwant Singh) in this country is NOT public service," referring to referring to the communal tensions that followed his Rath Yatra.

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Writer and journalist late Singh had used the phrase to criticise Advani at a public meeting where Advani was also present.

The Parliamentarian agreed to Hegde's point of view but defended his birthday wishes. He argued that it was unfair to judge a person through a single incident, no matter how significant it might appear, after years of public service.

"Reducing his long years of service to one episode, however significant, is also unfair. The totality of Nehruji’s career cannot be judged by the China setback, nor Indira Gandhi’s by the Emergency alone. I believe we should extend the same courtesy to Advaniji," Tharoor responded.

'Rift between Tharoor and Congress?'

The Congress said Tharoor speaks for himself and the fact that he continues to do so as a CWC member reflects the party’s democratic and liberal spirit.

Congress’s media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said, “Like always, Dr Shashi Tharoor speaks for himself and the Indian National Congress outrightly dissociates itself from his most recent statement.”

“That he continues to do so as a Congress MP and CWC member reflects the essential democratic and liberal spirit unique to INC,” Khera said.

This is not the first time Tharoor has faced backlash for his opinions on the BJP. Earlier, he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his meeting with US President Donald Trump, which received severe criticism within the party and led to rumours of a rift between Tharoor and Congress.

Also Read: BJP’s Shehzad Poonawalla backs Tharoor for slamming dynasty politics

Last week, Shashi Tharoor wrote an opinion piece titled Indian Politics Are a Family Business, for Project Syndicate about dynastic politics that prevail in national parties. He listed the Gandhi-Nehru family as an example without mentioning any examples from the BJP.