Pawan Khera Amplifies Udit Raj’s Dig at Tharoor, Signaling Congress’s Internal Power Play

The Congress party is once again experiencing internal strife, this time prompted by a sharp social media diatribe by senior leader Udit Raj.

Taking to X (previously Twitter), Raj delivered a pointed rebuke of fellow Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, objecting to comments made by Tharoor in the course of an official trip to Panama.

In his remarks, Tharoor had been interpreted as praising the Modi government's military forays outside India's borders—an endorsement which didn't go down well with Raj.

With extreme sarcasm, Raj commented that, if it were up to him, he would have suggested Shashi Tharoor as the BJP's chief spokesperson—perhaps even India's foreign minister—due to the evident awe in his words.

He continued to blame Tharoor for not acknowledging the Congress party's great contribution to the making of India's defense history. Raj highlighted that in the past Congress governments, India had made great military achievements, particularly focusing on the 1965 and 1971 wars. He laid emphasis on India's central role in making Bangladesh after the 1971 war as a prime instance.

Raj also pointed out that it was in the UPA period that India had conducted a number of surgical strikes, though these were never politicized or celebrated in public like today. He faulted Tharoor for not acknowledging what was due to the party and placing the blame that it lacked loyalty to the party that had brought him into the national limelight.

What has especially raised eyebrows is the seeming endorsement Raj's post had from Congress leader Pawan Khera, who serves as the party's Media and Publicity Department head and member of the Congress Working Committee. Khera reposting Raj's scathing remarks has added to rumors about fissures in the party that run deeper.

A number of political commentators perceive Khera's endorsement—whether symbolic or intentional—as a tacit acknowledgment of Raj's public disapproval of Tharoor, who is considered to be among the most influential voices of the Congress on international political platforms.

Tharoor is now heading a multi-party delegation on a diplomatic visit to five countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. His recent comments in Panama, read by some as a ratification of the Modi government's war policies, have undoubtedly turned into a contentious issue within the party.

Compounding the dilemma is Raj's position as a Dalit leader, which some experts suspect is a strategic factor in this incident. His identity is believed to offer a sort of political insulation from possible reaction—either from within Congress or from outside critics, including BJP—by appealing to the symbolism of the representation of marginalized interests.

This internal strife reflects a more profound ideological and strategic realignment in the Congress. Whether it comes to a full-blown confrontation or is smoldering in secret is unclear.