Congress slams Tharoor for showing ‘admiration’ for Modi; MP says statement given ‘partisan twist’ – The Hindu

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June 20, 2026e-Paper
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June 20, 2026e-Paper
Published – June 21, 2026 12:57 am IST – New Delhi
Shashi Tharoor, the party’s Thiruvananthapuram MP, however, said he found it extraordinary that a statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors was given a partisan twist. File. | Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Congress on Saturday (June 20, 2026) slammed party leader Shashi Tharoor over his “admiration” for Narendra Modi, saying it appears to have transcended the physical world as he now seems capable of hearing what the Prime Minister never even said.
Mr. Tharoor, the party's Thiruvananthapuram MP, however, said he found it extraordinary that a statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors was given a partisan twist.
The row was sparked by Mr. Tharoor's reported remarks that “PM Modi made his point clear both in the public and private meetings with the president.” He reportedly said, “It is important to convey the message that in wartime, civilian sailors on commercial ships should not be targets of combat. They are not soldiers, and that is the message PM Modi conveyed.” Asked about the comments, Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said at a press conference that he had not seen Mr. Tharoor's statement but he had also not seen in the India-U.S. joint statement a mention of the killing of three Indian sailors by the United States in the Gulf of Oman, challenging of Mr. Trump's repeated claim on halting Operation Sindoor, and the attack on Iranian frigate IRIS Dena.
Tharoor on X responded, “Frankly, I find it extraordinary that a statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors is being twisted into a partisan political controversy. Three Indians lost their lives. My remarks were about the safety of our citizens and the principle that civilian seafarers should never be targets of military action.” If some people are more interested in scoring political points than addressing that concern, that says more about them than it does about me, he said.
Concern for Indian lives should unite us, not divide us, the former Union Minister asserted.
Later, tagging a video clip of his own remarks at the presser, Mr. Khera on X said, “My senior colleague Dr Shashi Tharoor's admiration for PM Modi appears to have transcended the limitations of the physical world. He now seems capable of hearing what Modi doesn't even say.” Mr. Khera said that according to the official MEA readout of the Modi-Trump meeting on the sidelines of the G7, there was no mention of the “cold-blooded killing” of three Indian sailors by the United States in the Gulf of Oman.
“This was the first Modi-Trump meeting after Operation Sindoor, yet there is no indication that Modi challenged Trump's repeated claim – now made over 120 times – that he secured a ceasefire by threatening India with trade consequences,” the Congress leader said.
Mr. Khera added that there was also no mention of the attack on Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, India's guest during MILAN-2026, in what is effectively India’s strategic backyard.
“And yet, Tharoor ji somehow heard forceful assertions, robust pushback, and uncompromising diplomacy that never made it into the official record. Perhaps the rest of us are constrained by ordinary human senses. For devotees of the ‘Maha-Maanav Modi’, the less he says, the more they hear,” Mr. Khera said, in a scathing attack on the fellow party member.
Later, in an apparent reference to Mr. Khera, Mr. Tharoor on X said, “For those who believe I ‘heard’ words that @narendramodi never said at the G-7, I was merely alluding to widely published reports about his remarks. If you want to hear a report, here’s one.” Tharoor shared a link to a media report on YouTube.
“Otherwise, this was Google Gemini’s summary: At the G7 Outreach Session held in Evian, France (June 2026), Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly addressed the leaders of the G7 nations, including US President Donald Trump, regarding the sanctity of global shipping lanes and the urgent need to protect civilian maritime workers.
“The remarks carried intense diplomatic weight as they came directly on the heels of a major maritime crisis: just days prior, three Indian seafarers were killed in the Gulf of Oman when US military forces struck the merchant vessel Settebello over an alleged US blockade violation regarding Iranian oil transport,” the summary shared by Mr. Tharoor read.
“Here is a breakdown of the key points from the articles and reports detailing PM Modi’s address in Evian: The Core Message: Safety of Seafarers as a Global Duty. Speaking at the high-level session titled ‘Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity,’ Mr. Modi reframed the Middle East shipping disruptions not just as an economic concern, but as a critical human-security crisis.
“Several Indian civilians have also lost their lives. The safety of seafarers, who connect nations through global maritime trade, is our responsibility. We must ensure that sea routes remain secure and that seafarers can carry out their work without fear," the summary further read.
Mr. Tharoor said he reads widely and retains what he reads.
“I have never in my life been accused of misrepresenting or distorting any facts or statements and I stand by my summary of what I read in the print media about these remarks, which were reportedly made when our PM was seated next to @realDonaldTrump,” he said.
Meanwhile, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that Mr. Tharoor's remarks on Modi’s handling of the seafarers issue before Mr. Trump contradicted Mr. Rahul Gandhi’s stand.
“It is embarrassing. Yesterday was Rahul Gandhi’s birthday, but he did not receive any gift. Dr Shashi Tharoor contradicted Rahul Gandhi’s stand on the same issue, saying Prime Minister Modi articulated India’s position on the sailors’ issue very forcefully before President Trump and conveyed the country’s stance effectively,” Mr. Poonawalla said in a video statement.
He claimed, “Not just that, Tharoor has effusively praised Prime Minister Modi’s vision, articulation, dynamism and oratory. He has said Modi has left a stamp on the lives of Indians.” Mr. Poonawalla also targeted the Congress over its projection of Mr. Rahul Gandhi as a future prime ministerial candidate and claimed that some leaders within the party did not share that view.
Published – June 21, 2026 12:57 am IST
Indian National Congress
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