A fresh row has erupted within the Congress after senior party leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor spoke of “encouraging progress towards normalcy” in Jammu and Kashmir following a meeting
with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in Srinagar, drawing sharp criticism from leaders of the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit.
Tharoor was in Srinagar for the Nalanda Dialogues and met Sinha at Lok Bhavan during his visit.
Sharing details of the meeting on X, the Congress MP wrote that he had an “excellent meeting” with the Lieutenant Governor and discussed the situation in the Union Territory.
He said there was “encouraging progress towards normalcy” and added that he witnessed what he described as a “positive outreach” by the administration when he saw Sinha interacting with representatives of the Kashmiri Writers’ Association and a women’s organisation.
“In Srinagar! Had the honour of an excellent meeting with Lieutenant-Governor Shri Manoj Sinha at Lok Bhavan today. We discussed the situation in the state and the encouraging progress towards normalcy,” Tharoor wrote.
He further said, “Many challenges remain and much remains to be done, but I left the meeting feeling more positives than I have felt for a while.”
In Srinagar! Had the honour of an excellent meeting with Lieutenant-Governor Shri @manojsinha_ at Lok Bhavan today. We discussed the situation in the state and the encouraging progress towards normalcy. When I arrived he was chatting to the President of the Kashmiri Writers’… pic.twitter.com/hm1lz3qDGF
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 21, 2026
The remarks did not go down well with leaders of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC), who questioned why Tharoor had not interacted with residents or party workers during his visit.
Responding publicly to Tharoor’s post, JKPCC spokesperson Ravinder Sharma mentioned in an X post, “People of Kashmir too were expecting you to meet them to have a better understanding of the ground realities.”
“Atleast could’ve spared sometime to meet own partymen fighting for statehood snatched from us 7 years ago,” (sic), he added.
The criticism highlighted a disconnect between Tharoor’s assessment of the situation and the concerns being raised by Congress leaders in the region, particularly on the issue of restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
The latest episode comes close on the heels of another public disagreement between Tharoor and members of his own party over his remarks regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.
BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan accused the Congress leadership of targeting Tharoor because he had praised PM Modi’s handling of issues concerning Indian sailors.
“The deep-rooted insecurity and hate harboured by Rahul Gandhi and the Congress first family against PM Modi is the real reason for the Congress party outburst against Shashi Tharoor,” Kesavan told ANI.
He further claimed, “Under Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party has become bigoted so much so that it cannot even practice or accept basic courtesy or civility in public life.”
The controversy had begun after Congress leader Pawan Khera mocked Tharoor’s praise for PM Modi. In a post on X, Khera wrote, “My senior colleague Shashi Tharoor’s admiration for PM Modi appears to have transcended the limitations of the physical world. He now seems capable of hearing what Modi doesn’t even say.”
Responding to Khera’s criticism, Tharoor said his comments were based on media reports that had been widely published.
“For those who believe I ‘heard’ words that @narendramodi never said at the G-7, I was merely alluding to widely published reports about his remarks,” Tharoor wrote on X.
“I read widely and retain what I read. I have never in my life been accused of misrepresenting or distorting any facts or statements, and I stand by my summary of what I read in the print media about these remarks,” he added.
