Overview
- On November 8, Shashi Tharoor wished L.K. Advani a happy 98th birthday on X and called him a “true statesman” with an exemplary life of public service.
- Responding to criticism a day later, Tharoor argued it was unfair to reduce Advani’s long career to a single episode, comparing the standard of judgment to Jawaharlal Nehru’s China setback and Indira Gandhi’s Emergency.
- Supreme Court advocate Sanjay Hegde rebuked the assessment, saying “unleashing the dragon seeds of hatred” is not public service and contending the Rath Yatra was not just an episode but a march that reshaped politics.
- Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera stated that Tharoor “speaks for himself” and that the party “outrightly dissociates” from his latest remarks, framing his latitude as part of the party’s liberal spirit.
- BJP figures used the flap to deride Congress’s internal discipline, as PM Narendra Modi personally conveyed birthday wishes to Advani, who received the Bharat Ratna in 2025.