Overview

• Mallikarjun Kharge publicly chastised Shashi Tharoor on June 25, contrasting the Congress’s “country first, party later” motto with “Modi first, country later.”
• Tharoor responded on X with an image of a bird and the message “Don’t ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one,” asserting his autonomy.
• Congress MP Manickam Tagore countered with his own bird metaphor, warning that “hawks, vultures, and eagles are always hunting” and that “predators wear patriotism as feathers.”
• Kharge signaled that the party will take no immediate disciplinary action against Tharoor to preserve a focus on national unity despite mounting mistrust.
• The public exchange highlights deeper tensions over party discipline, individual expression and Tharoor’s praise for Prime Minister Modi during Operation Sindoor’s diplomatic outreach.