BJP takes a swipe at Congress over Shashi Tharoor's 'egg on face' remark: 'Hope Rahul Gandhi won't...'

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor with senior party leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. (File Photo)

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's admission that he was wrong in his assessment of India's stance on the Russia-Ukraine war is likely to leave party leader Rahul Gandhi red-faced, the Bharatiya Janata Party said on Wednesday.

At Raisina Dialogue 2025, Tharoor was asked whether, given the state of play right now with Russia-Ukraine war and US President Donald Trump’s position, he was glad that India took the position it did.

"I am still wiping the egg off my face because I was the one person in the parliamentary debate who actually criticised the Indian position back in February 2022 on the grounds that there was a violation of the UN Charter– that there had been a violation for the principle of the inviolability of borders, of the sovereignty of a member state, namely Ukraine, and that we had always stood for the inadmissibility of the use of force to settle international disputes and all of those principles. I said these have been violated by one party and we should have condemned it,” Tharoor responded.

This will likely leave Rahul Gandhi red faced, with the Congress media department scrambling to clarify that Shashi Tharoors remarks reflect his personal viewsnot the partys official stancedespite Tharoor having led the partys charge on the issue in Parliament.Congress pic.twitter.com/zrU7xb5TYx
Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) March 19, 2025

“Three years later, it does look like I’m the one that got egg on my face because clearly, the policy has meant that India has actually a prime minister who can hug both the president of Ukraine and the president of Russia two weeks apart,” he added.

He further said that due to that policy, India is in a position where it can make a difference to a lasting peace.

“Distance helps. The fact that we’re not in Europe and we’re not directly one way or the other threatened, and that we don’t benefit from any change in territorial borders, for example, that helps.”

Latching on to Tharoor's remarks, BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya said that the development was likely to leave LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi red-faced. "This will likely leave Rahul Gandhi red faced, with the Congress media department scrambling to clarify that Shashi Tharoor’s remarks reflect his personal views—not the party’s official stance—despite Tharoor having led the party’s charge on the issue in Parliament," Malviya said in a post on X.

He further pointed out how Tharoor admitted he was wrong in opposing India’s neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022. "He acknowledged that India’s diplomatic balance has given Prime Minister Narendra Modi the unique position of being able to engage with both Ukraine and Russia without hostility."

Notably, Tharoor was among the most vocal opponents of the stance India had taken on the Russia-Ukraine war back in 2022 when the conflict began and had even accused the ruling Narendra Modi government of going silent on the Russia-Ukraine war.

“Russia is a friend and there could be some legitimate security concerns but for India to go suddenly silent on it will be seen as a disappointment by Ukraine and its friends. It’s a pity that India has gone silent,” he had then said.

Tharoor's remarks are likely to spur greater unease within the Congress as it comes amid a string of developments where the Thiruvanathapuram MP has spoken his mind even if his views were contrary to the party's stand on an issue.

A section of the Congress has been up in arms against Tharoor over his recent praise of the Prime Minister and the state government led by rivals LDF in Kerala. He also created a flutter when he said he was no short of options if the Congress leadership felt it did not require his services. He had apparently sought a clear answer from Rahul regarding his future role in the Congress and whether the party would consider projecting him as its chief ministerial face.

Taking a swipe at the Congress over Tharoor's remarks, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said he hoped Rahul would not take action against the party MP for his remarks. "Hope Rahul Gandhi doesn't act against Shashi Tharoor for praising PM Modi," he said on Wednesday.