Tharoor’s Emergency Remarks Spark Congress Row, BJP Seizes on Infighting

Shashi Tharoor's Remarks on Emergency as a ‘Dark Chapter’ Trigger Internal Congress Backlash and BJP Attacks

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has stirred a new controversy within his party. He has written a strongly worded column criticizing the 1975 Emergency declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In the article that appeared in Malayalam daily Deepika, and later posted in English on X, Tharoor described the Emergency as a ‘dark chapter’ of Indian democracy.

He specifically brought attention to the coercive population control campaigns spearheaded by Sanjay Gandhi, mentioning the ‘cruelty’ unleashed on the poor under the form of forced sterilisation programmes. “These actions, conducted in the interests of discipline, disproportionately burdened the poor in the countryside,” he stated.

Congress Leaders Hit Back

Tharoor’s comments quickly elicited pushback from inside the Congress. Party MP Manickam Tagore went on X with an enigmatic but stinging message

“When a fellow politician begins to repeat word by word BJP slogans, you wonder, is the bird turning into a parrot? Mimicking is adorable in birds, not in politics.”

From Tharoor’s home state of Kerala, Congress veteran K Muraleedharan was blunt. When Tharoor showed him a poll that made him the most popular choice to be the state’s chief minister, Muraleedharan said, “He should first determine which party he is working for.”

The testy reactions indicate increasing unease in the Congress about Tharoor’s increasingly divergent stands, particularly on sensitive issues of party heritage.

BJP Sees Divide as an Opportunity to Attack Congress

BJP was quick to capitalize on internal bickering. Party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi stated that Tharoor’s remark is evidence that even Congress leaders are now acknowledging the ‘cruelty and undemocratic nature’ of the Emergency.

“It took 50 years for a Congress leader to admit the truth. But his party continues to defend that mindset,” Trivedi said, also linking the episode to Rahul Gandhi’s ongoing protest in Bihar against changes to the electoral rolls.

Tharoor’s Growing Isolation in Congress

Tharoor has frequently held views that are at variance with the party line. From appreciating the foreign policy of Prime Minister Modi to providing an unmotivated assessment of the RSS, he has attracted criticism from various sections of the party.

His role in ‘Operation Sindoor’, a government outreach program following border tensions with Pakistan, also attracted criticism, with Congress leaders complaining about not being consulted.

After failing to challenge the 2022 Congress president polls against Mallikarjun Kharge, Tharoor’s place in the party is still unclear. As tensions are again running high, questions regarding his political career and his position in Congress are only increasing.