Congress MP Shashi Tharoor Under Fire for Praising PM Modi's Ramnath Goenka Lecture

File photo of PM Narendra Modi and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor continued to face criticism from his party colleagues over his praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Ramnath Goenka Lecture. Party leader Sandeep Dikshit questioned why Tharoor remains in the Congress if he "feels that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s strategies are working better".

"Shashi Tharoor's problem is that I don't think he knows a lot about the country. If according to you, someone is doing good for the country by going against the Congress' policies, then you should follow their policies. Why are you in the Congress? Is it only because you are an MP?" said Dikshit, son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

"If you really feel that the BJP or PM Modi's strategies are working better than the party you are in, then you should give an explanation. If you cannot give one, you are a hypocrite," he added.

The remarks came on Wednesday, a day after Tharoor - Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram - commented that PM Modi's Ramnath Goenka Lecture served as both an economic outlook and a cultural call to action. It also followed Congress leader Supriya Shrinate's questioning of how Tharoor found any reason to praise the speech.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Tharoor mentioned he attended the Lecture at the invitation of the organizing newspaper - The Indian Express.

"Attended PM Narendra Modi's Ramnath Goenka Lecture at the invitation of @IndianExpress last night. He spoke of India's 'constructive impatience' for development and strongly pushed for a post-colonial mindset," the Thiruvananthapuram MP posted on X.

"On the whole, the PM's address served as both an economic outlook and a cultural call to action, urging the nation to be restless for progress. Glad to have been in the audience despite battling a bad cold and cough!" he added.

Shrinate stated the Prime Minister should have addressed his "problem with fair journalism" and claimed he thinks of the opposition party "day and night." She was referring to PM Modi's criticisms of the opposition party in his Monday evening speech.

"I did not find anything in the speech worth appreciating. I think the PM must answer a lot of things. He was attending an event organised by a newspaper. He should tell us what his problem is with fair journalism. He should have told us why he is not happy with those who show and speak truth...So, I didn't see any reason to appreciate him," she said.

"I don't know how he (Tharoor) found one... I found it to be a petty speech. He criticised the Congress there too. The PM thinks of Congress day and night. This is amazing," she added.

At the sixth Ramnath Goenka Lecture, PM Modi commented on the Bihar election result, stating it has sent a clear message to all state governments that their development policies will determine their parties' future, whether they belong to "left, right or centre".

He also responded to those who label him and the BJP as perpetually in "election mode," saying that being in "emotional mode" with commitment to development and people's sentiment 24x7 is what wins elections for the BJP.

He criticized the Congress, arguing that forces supporting Naxalism and Maoist terrorism were losing ground in the country but gaining influence in the main opposition party.

This is not the first instance where Tharoor has raised eyebrows within the Congress through his praise for the Prime Minister or the Centre.

Previously, he stated that dynastic politics across the political spectrum poses a "grave threat" to Indian democracy and asserted that it's time India traded "dynasty for meritocracy".

The BJP had utilized Tharoor's remarks, calling it a "very insightful piece" on how Indian politics has become a family business.