'More interested in political points': Shashi Tharoor vs Congress after he backs Modi-Trump meet at G7

A public disagreement has erupted between Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and party leader Pawan Khera over Tharoor's support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statements during a G7 summit meeting with US President Donald Trump.

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PM Modi made his point clear both in the public and private meetings with the president.

The controversy began when Tharoor expressed support for Modi's remarks, emphasizing the importance of ensuring civilian sailors are not targeted in wartime. He stated that Modi conveyed this message clearly in both public and private meetings.

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It is important to convey the message that in wartime, civilian sailors on commercial ships should not be targets of combat. They are not soldiers, and that is the message PM Modi conveyed.

Responding to Tharoor's stance, Pawan Khera took a swipe at the MP, suggesting Tharoor's "aspirations" for the prime minister allowed him to perceive statements that were not officially made or heard by others. Khera implied Tharoor could "hear what Modi doesn't even say."

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Tharoor ji somehow heard forceful assertions, robust pushback, and uncompromising diplomacy that never made it into the official record. Perhaps the rest of us are constrained by ordinary human senses.

Tharoor hit back, defending his reporting and stating he reads widely and accurately represents facts. He accused the Congress party of being more interested in "scoring political points" than addressing the critical issue of Indian lives lost in the US-Iran conflict. Tharoor reiterated that his focus was on the safety of Indian citizens and the principle that civilian seafarers should not be military targets.

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I read widely and retain what I read. I have never in my life been accused of misrepresenting or distorting any facts or statements, and I stand by my summary of what I read in the print media bout these remarks, which were reportedly made when our PM was seated next to Trump.