NEW DELHI: Shashi Tharoor’s recent praise of the Modi government’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war provided fresh ammunition to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which took a swipe at the Congress on Wednesday. The BJP remarked that Prime Minister Narendra Modi now “needs new haters” because his “old ones are turning into his fans.”
Amit Malviya, BJP’s IT cell head, posted a clip of Tharoor’s comments on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Prime Minister Modi needs new haters… Old ones are turning into his fans.”
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also took a jibe at the Congress, urging Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to acknowledge Tharoor’s stand on India’s diplomatic position. “Shashi Tharoor understands diplomacy; he served in the UN for a long time. He has appreciated PM Modi’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Other Congress leaders should learn from Tharoor instead of criticizing PM Modi and India on every occasion. Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi should come forward and appreciate Tharoor’s remarks,” Patra said.
Tharoor Acknowledges India’s Diplomatic Success
During a panel discussion at the Raisina Dialogue on Tuesday, Tharoor admitted to having to “wipe egg off his face” for initially criticizing India’s diplomatic position on the Russia-Ukraine war. He conceded that India’s neutral approach had positioned it uniquely as a friend to both warring nations.
“I am still wiping the egg off my face because I was one of those who criticized India’s stance during the parliamentary debate back in February 2022,” Tharoor remarked.
Explaining his earlier view, he said, “I criticized India’s position on the grounds that the UN Charter was violated, Ukraine’s sovereignty was breached, and the principle of inviolability of borders was compromised. Based on those principles, I believed India should have condemned Russia’s actions.”
However, reflecting on the outcome, Tharoor acknowledged, “Three years later, it seems I was the one who was wrong. India’s balanced policy has allowed our Prime Minister to maintain ties with both the President of Ukraine and the President of Russia within a span of two weeks, positioning India to contribute to a lasting peace in ways that few countries can.”
BJP Leaders Welcome Tharoor’s Acknowledgment
BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad welcomed Tharoor’s remarks, emphasizing that the Modi government’s decisions have always been in the nation’s best interests.
“He now realizes that his past statements on the Russia-Ukraine war were misplaced. The Indian government’s policies were indeed correct. Better late than never. The way Shashi Tharoor has admitted his mistake, other Congress leaders should do the same,” Prasad told ANI.
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