'Who lives if India dies': Shashi Tharoor's fiery defence amid tensions with Congress high command

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is increasingly seen as getting closer to the BJP, on Saturday defended his support for the armed forces and the government following the Pahalgam terror attack, saying for him nation comes first. Addressing a student's question in Kochi, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram said he would stand his ground despite internal criticism, and reminded the audience of India's first Prime Minister's warning: "Who lives if India dies?"

Speaking at a private event in Kochi on 'Peace, Harmony and National Development', Tharoor responded to a student's question about criticism he has faced within his own party. The Congress Working Committee member, who represents Thiruvananthapuram in Parliament, said, "Which is your first loyalty? To my mind, the nation comes first. Parties are a means of making the nation better. So, to my mind, whichever party you belong to, the objective of the party is to create a better India in its own way."

"Now, parties have every right to disagree about the best way of doing that... As you know, a lot of people have been very critical of me because of the stand I have taken, supporting our armed forces and our government, and what happened recently in our country and our borders," he said. "But I will stand my ground, because I believe this is the right thing for the country."

The Congress MP's remarks follow internal party criticism over his perceived cross-party outreach and vocal support for the government after the recent Pahalgam terror attack.

Tharoor acknowledged the competitive nature of politics but reiterated that national interest should not be compromised. "Politics is unfortunately or otherwise, in any democracy, about competition. As a result, when people like me say we respect our parties, we have certain values and convictions that keep us in our parties, but we need to cooperate with other parties in the interests of national security, sometimes the parties feel that it's disloyal to them and that becomes a big problem," he said.

On the sidelines of the event, he reiterated: "Nation first was always my philosophy." He also said he returned to India from international roles to serve the country in any way he could. "I have tried to do that," he said.

Asked if he had issues with the Congress high command, Tharoor replied, "I came to give two speeches. Both the speeches were on themes I hope the public will respect and value."

"The first one was about development, the role of businesses and peace and harmony. The second was mainly on the theme of communal harmony and trying, at the same time, to live together in order for all of us to grow and develop. Inclusive development has been my theme throughout my 16 years in politics and I believe in inclusiveness and in development. I also believe in national security and national interest," he said.

When questioned about a recent survey that suggested he was the most preferred CM face for the Congress-led UDF, Tharoor distanced himself. "Someone forwarded it to me and I did a salute as a reply. I did not have anything more to say and I made no comment and I am not making any comment," he said.

Tharoor has drawn attention within political circles for a series of positions that appear aligned with the BJP's national security stance, particularly his statement that India conducted surgical strikes after 2014. He also rejected US President Donald Trump's claim that Washington played a role in stopping the war with Pakistan. The Congress has been slamming the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for stopping the war, with Rahul Gandhi claiming that the PM came under pressure.

Last month, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had made a pointed comment that was seen as a dig at Tharoor: "The Congress believes in putting the country first. But for some, it is Modi first and country later."