Speaking for the first time since skipping the All India Congress Committee (AICC) meet, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said that he had informed his party leadership that he wouldn’t be attending the meeting beforehand.
He said that he has some issues with his party, which he will discuss with the leadership, while clarifying that he has never gone against the political position of the party in the Parliament.
Tharoor said that the internal disagreements should be discussed within the party and not through the media.
“All I can say is that there are issues I need to raise with my party leadership, not in public. I will be going to Delhi for Parliament, and I believe I will have a chance to clearly share my concerns with the leadership and hear
their views. We will have a proper conversation. I have been in Congress for 17 years. Let’s not exaggerate. Whatever has gone wrong will be addressed in the right place,” he said.
#WATCH | Kozhikode, Kerala: On missing the poll-related meeting with party leadership and attending Kerala Lit Fest, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, “Whatever issues there are, I would have to discuss them with the party leadership, and I look forward to the opportunity to do… pic.twitter.com/G7l6noke3p
— ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2026
While speaking to reporters, Tharoor said that he had informed the Congress leadership he would not be able to attend the party meeting. The meeting was organised to discuss preparations for the upcoming Kerala Assembly polls.
#WATCH | Kozhikode, Kerala: On the sidelines of Kerala Literature Festival, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor speaks to the media on the row over him not attending an election-related meeting with the party leadership but attending the Literature Festival. pic.twitter.com/lLb8cLTGX9
— ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2026
Kozhikode, Kerala: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, “It is better to convey concerns directly to the party leadership. Several things have appeared in the media, some of which may be true while others may not be, and that such matters should not be discussed on public platforms.… pic.twitter.com/DXVohAse2S
— ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2026
The Congress MP said that he wanted to attend a literature festival, and it was difficult for him to travel constantly.
“However, I will definitely take part in all party activities in Parliament, and at that time I can meet the party leadership,” Tharoor said.
Recently, some reports also suggested that Tharoor was unhappy over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s failure to properly acknowledge him at an event in Kochi, and also because he is allegedly being sidelined by state party leaders.
When questioned about the alleged unfair treatment at a party event in Kochi, he said that he would not like to comment. He added that he wanted to present his book on Sree Narayana Guru at the literature festival.
He further underlined that he had once skipped the Jaipur Literature Festival because of a political commitment.
“I have nothing to say about the Ernakulam controversy. I had wished to release the book at the event, but the book launch at the Jaipur Literature Festival had to be postponed due to political commitments. This is the reason I chose to attend the event in Kozhikode,” he said.
Meanwhile, reacting to Thiruvananthapuram MP skipping the Congress strategy meet, CPI Kerala Secretary Binoy Viswam said, “Only Tharoor’s body is in Congress, his soul is with the BJP.”
Shashi Tharoor Says He Is ‘Unapologetic’ On His Op Sindoor Stance
While speaking at the Kerala Literature Festival, Tharoor said that he is unapologetic about the strong stand he took on Operation Sindoor.
The Congress MP explained that he had written a newspaper column after the Pahalgam terror attack in which he had said that the terrorists should not go unpunished and had appealed for a strong response.
VIDEO | Responding to question from the audience at Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) said:
“I have at no stage violated any of the Congress’ positions in Parliament; the only issue on which there has been public disagreement on… pic.twitter.com/ALATWmTNGc
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 24, 2026
He had stated that while the focus of India should be development, it should not get dragged into a long conflict with Pakistan, while clearly stating that any action should only target terrorist camps.
The MP said that he was surprised when the Indian government acted exactly how he had suggested.
“I have at no stage violated any of the Congress’ positions in Parliament; the only issue on which there has been public disagreement on principle is about Operation Sindoor where I did take a very strong stand, and I remain unapologetic about that because after Pahalgam happened, I myself, as an observer and commentator, I had written a column in the Indian Express, which I think I gave the title ‘After Pahalgam’, they gave it a title ‘Hit Hard, Hit Smart’. I said in that article – this can not go unpunished; there has to be a kinetic response,” Tharoor said.
“How could I criticise it when I recommended it myself? I fully supported Operation Sindoor and afterwards,” he added.
Tharoor said that former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru once asked, “Who lives if India dies? When India’s security and its place in the world are at stake, India comes first.”
He said that the political parties can have differences in the process of building a better India, but India must come first when national interests are involved.
“Political parties may differ while working towards a better India, but when the country’s core interests are at stake, India must come first,” said the senior Congress leader.
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