New Delhi [India], December 27 : Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has once again stirred controversy within the party after reportedly saying that rejoicing at the PM's defeat is akin to celebrating India's defeat.
Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao on Saturday rejected Tharoor's statement, saying that "the party (Congress) does not think this way."
Rao attributed his remarks to the party's democratic structure, adding that there would have been action if another party made similar statements.
"We have democracy here, so everyone expresses their views. If another party made such statements, there would be swift action, but we have democracy here. This may be his thinking, but the party does not think that way...," Rao told ANI.
Earlier in the day, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla called Shashi Tharoor courageous for his statement and hoped the Congress would not take action against Tharoor.
"Once again, Shashi Tharoor has shown the courage to show the mirror to Rahul Gandhi for all the propaganda he spreads against India. Dr Tharoor has rightly said that foreign policy doesn't belong to one party; it belongs to the nation.... I hope that they do not take some action against Tharoor. They may issue a fatwa against him because they cannot tolerate national interest above family interest," Poonawalla stated.
Taking a dig at LoP Rahul Gandhi, Poonawalla alleged that Gandhi keeps family interest above party and the nation's interest, adding that he hates India.
"This is a clear-cut message to Rahul Gandhi about his propaganda on Operation Sindoor, the surrender narrative to Prithviraj Chavan, and the entire Congress ecosystem... But Rahul Gandhi keeps family interest above party interest and the nation's interest because, in his hatred for the BJP, he hates India. He goes and spews venom against India...," Poonawalla told ANI.
Meanwhile, despite his on-and-off relationship with the party, Shashi Tharoor attended the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Headquarters at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi.
Recently, Tharoor has made headlines for skipping Congress meetings and praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at the Ramnath Goenka Lecture.
He had skipped Congress's 'Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod' rally at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi due to his engagement abroad. Tharoor also missed the meeting of Congress LS MPs chaired by Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi.
According to party sources, Tharoor had already informed the party of his unavailability.
According to Shashi Tharoor's X timeline, he was at an event hosted by Prabha Khaitan Foundation in Kolkata.