Shashi Tharoor speaks for himself: Congress distances itself from Advani remark

Responding to Tharoor, eminent lawyer Sanjay Hegde alluded to Advani's role in spearheading the Ram Janmabhoomi movement that led to the violent demolition of the Babri Masjid and communal riots across the country.

"Sorry Mr Tharoor, unleashing the 'dragon seeds of hatred' (to quote Kushwant Singh) in this country is NOT public service," he wrote in a post on X.

Replying to the post, Tharoor said, "Agreed, @sanjayuvacha, but reducing his long years of service to one episode, however significant, is also unfair."

"The totality of Nehruji's career cannot be judged by the China setback, nor Indira Gandhi's by the Emergency alone. I believe we should extend the same courtesy to Advaniji," he added.

Congress said it "outrightly dissociates" from the Thiruvananthapuram MP's remarks but added that it reflected the "democratic and liberal spirit" within the party.

Last week, Tharoor in an article for Project Syndicate titled “Indian Politics Are a Family Business”, argued that dynastic politics across the spectrum poses a “grave threat” to Indian democracy. He wrote that India must “trade dynasty for meritocracy,” and observed that while the Nehru-Gandhi family is associated with Congress, lineage-driven politics extends to almost every party in the country.