Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said he is "unapologetic" as he has never violated the party’s stated positions in Parliament, asserting that his
only public disagreement in principle was over Operation Sindoor. This comes as Shashi Tharoor skipped the key brainstorming session held in Kerala ahead of the upcoming state elections. Several reports claimed that he is "upset" with Rahul Gandhi. Answering questions during a session at the Kerala Literature Festival, Tharoor said he had taken a strong stand on that issue and remained "unapologetic". Explaining his position, Tharoor said that, as an observer and writer, he had written a newspaper column after the Pahalgam incident, stating that it should not go unpunished and that there should be a kinetic response. He said that while India is focused on development, it should not be dragged into a prolonged conflict with Pakistan, and that any action should be limited to targeting terrorist camps. Tharoor said that to his surprise, the Indian government did exactly what he had recommended. Tharoor said it was Jawaharlal Nehru who posed the famous question: "Who lives if India dies?" "When India is at stake, when India’s security and its place in the world are involved, India comes first," he said. He added that political parties may have differences as part of the process of building a better India, but when national interests are involved, India must prevail. "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. I had informed the party in advance that I would not be attending the programme and whatever I have to say will be said within the party," Tharoor told reporters.
#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
According to reports, Tharoor was "upset" with the Congress top brass for not adequately acknowledging his presence at a recent event in Kochi and over alleged repeated attempts by state leaders to sideline him.
The Congress, however, denied that anyone was upset. It claimed that Tharoor had already discussed his inability to attend the meeting with the leaders. Asked why Tharoor was absent at the meeting and whether he was upset over being sidelined, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said, "No one is upset, and there is no 'narazgi'. He had a programme in Calicut, and that is why he could not come. He had spoken with us earlier. There is no question of anyone being upset."
On Tharoor giving priority to a literary festival over the key strategy meeting, he said, "Because he was invited earlier (at the literary festival) and he had talked to us that he has to go there. There is no one getting upset."
On whether the Congress will announce a chief ministerial candidate, the senior leader said, "No face will be announced, and a decision on this will be taken after the election."
