Shashi Tharoor declines Congress's invite to speak on Operation Sindoor, Pahalgam terror attack in Parliament: Report

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has reportedly declined party leadership invite to speak during the marathon debate in Parliament on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack on Monday. Tharoor has reportedly informed party leaders of his inability to take part in the debate.

Tharoor, one of the star speakers of Congress in Parliament, has been in loggerheads with the party leadership for the past few days, especially after the Kerala MP towed a different line from the party on the military operation India launched in the aftermath of the gruesome terror attack. 

According to reports, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi reportedly approached Tharoor on the directions of Opposition leader in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, to speak during the debate. However, the Kerala MP declined the invite.

The relationship between the Congress MP from Kerala and the party leadership had soured after Tharoor took a stand different from the party on the issues. Tharoor had maintained "nation first" stand and openly backed the government on its various claims regarding Operation Sindoor, while the Congress targeted the Union government over US President Donald Trump's claims of resolving the conflict. 

Despite not being Congress's official pick, the Union government chose Tharoor to lead an MP delegation to the US as part of its outreach campaign in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. Reports also suggest the Centre might invite Tharoor to speak through the speaker as he had led one of the delegations. 

16-hour marathon debate has been scheduled in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. The Congress has issued a whip to all its MPs to be present in the house for three days.