Overview
- Shashi Tharoor wished L.K. Advani a happy 98th birthday on X, calling him “a true statesman” whose public service was exemplary.
- Facing criticism that invoked Advani’s 1990 Rath Yatra, Tharoor replied that it was unfair to reduce Advani’s decades in public life to one incident, citing parallels with how Nehru and Indira Gandhi are assessed.
- Supreme Court advocate Sanjay Hegde countered that the Rath Yatra sowed “dragon seeds of hatred,” rejecting Tharoor’s framing in a widely shared exchange.
- Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said the party “outrightly dissociates” from Tharoor’s comments, adding that his ability to express personal views reflects the INC’s “democratic and liberal spirit.”
- BJP figures amplified the row, with spokespersons mocking Congress for disowning Tharoor, as coverage revisited Advani’s central role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and his Bharat Ratna award earlier this year.