Shashi Tharoor Defends LK Advani Against Criticism: Why Public Figures Deserve Comprehensive Evaluation

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has come to the defense of veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani following criticism he received for posting birthday wishes to the senior politician. After a lawyer criticized his message, Tharoor referenced former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, arguing that judging someone's entire career based on a single event is fundamentally unfair.

Advani, one of the BJP's founding members who served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2002-2004, celebrated his 98th birthday yesterday. In his congratulatory message, Tharoor shared a photograph of his younger self with Advani, describing him as a "true statesman" whose life of public service has been "exemplary" with an "unwavering commitment."

The Thiruvananthapuram MP wrote: "Wishing the venerable Shri LK Advani a very happy 98th birthday! His unwavering commitment to public service, his modesty & decency, and his role in shaping the trajectory of modern India are indelible. A true statesman whose life of service has been exemplary."

Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde challenged Tharoor's characterization, stating: "Sorry Mr Tharoor, unleashing the 'dragon seeds of hatred' (to quote Khushwant Singh) in this country is NOT public service." This appeared to reference Advani's 1990 Ram Rath Yatra, widely seen as catalyzing mass mobilization ahead of the Babri Mosque demolition.

The phrase was originally used by renowned author and journalist Khushwant Singh to criticize Advani during a public meeting, which Singh later documented in his book 'The End of India.' Notably, Advani was present when Singh directed this criticism toward him.

Tharoor, however, stood firm in his position. He responded that condensing Advani's extensive career to a single episode, regardless of its significance, was unjust. "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," the 69-year-old Congress leader argued.

This is not the first time Tharoor has faced backlash for praising political opponents. Previously, he received criticism from within Congress for complimenting Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding his meeting with US President Donald Trump. The party subsequently engaged in damage control to project unity, as the criticism sparked speculation about tensions between Tharoor and Congress leadership.

Just last week, Tharoor authored an article critiquing dynastic politics as an impediment to meritocracy, which garnered praise from BJP quarters. While his piece cited the Gandhi-Nehru family as an example, it notably did not include any examples from the BJP.