‘Normal in a democracy’: Shashi Tharoor on Rahul Gandhi's criticism of PM Modi over Trump mediation claims

Congress Member Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor has responded to ⁠Rahul Gandhi's remark that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scared with just one phone call by US President Donald Trump by saying that criticism was ‘normal’ in a democracy.

“In a democracy, and this is normal, parties will contend, criticism will be expressed, demands will be made, points of view will be laid out. We are not here on a party political mission,” Tharoor told news agency PTI who is part of all-party delegation traveling abroad as part of the government's diplomatic outreach to highlight India's stand on terrorism following Operation Sindoor.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi surrendered after a call from US President Donald Trump during the India-Pakistan military conflict. Addressing a party convention in Bhopal, he said the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, didn't budge in the 1971 war despite the US sending its Seventh Fleet.

"A call came from Trump and Narendra Modi ji immediately surrendered - history is a witness, this is the character of BJP-RSS, they always bow down," Rahul stated after launching the Congress' 'Sangthan Srijan Abhiyan' here in the presence of Congress leaders and workers.

Tharoor when asked to comment on Rahul Gandhi's remarks said, “we are here as representatives of a united India. I often point out to my interlocuters that we have five political parties amongst my seven MPs."

As many as 26 people were killed and several others injured in the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on 22 April. Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Three religions, seven states

"We have three religions, we have got seven states... it's an incredible cross section reflective of India's diversity. There is an old saying that our political differences stop at the edge of the border. Once you cross the border, you are an Indian and your other allegiances come second," Tharoor said.

The delegation led by Tharoor arrived in the US on Wednesday. The delegation includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayogi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, Bhubaneswar Kalita (all from BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora.

Earlier, the Tharoor-led all-party met Bipartisan co-chairs Ro Khanna and Rich McCormick, as well as vice co-chairs Andy Barr and Marc Veasey, on Wednesday. During the meeting, the parliamentary delegation briefed the Caucus members on the cross-border terrorism faced by India and India's strong and resolute stance against terrorism.

The delegation also held a meeting with the US House Foreign Affairs Committee leadership in Washington. DC. HFAC Chairman Brian Mast, Ranking Member of the committee, Gregory Meeks, South and Central Asia Subcommittee Chair Bill Huizenga, Ranking members - Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Ami Bera, Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific Chair, Young Kim.

(With PTI inputs)