Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday clarified that his comments on the India-Pakistan conflict were made in a personal capacity, as an "Indian and a proud citizen", and did not reflect the official stand of the party.
Speaking to reporters, the Lok Sabha MP from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram also expressed ignorance over reports that a section of Congress leaders felt he had crossed the "Lakshman Rekha - a metaphor originating in Ramayana, loosely meaning "boundary" - through his repeated comments on the conflict.
"People seem to think I have knowledge on some of these subjects. So they come and ask me my views. And I make it very clear, sometimes explicitly and sometimes implicitly, that I am expressing my personal views as an Indian, as a proud citizen," Mr Tharoor told reporters.
Asked about some Congress leaders' views that he had crossed his limits, he said: "I don't know where this comes from. I was at a closed door meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). I was there till 6.35pm for the meeting that began at 4.30pm. And I must say that at that time, there was certainly no reference to any of this and no reference to me. If something happened thereafter, I am yet to be informed about it. So when I am informed, I will react to it."
He added: "I don't see much point in reacting to something of which there has not been no official communication to me of any kind, nor any discussion that I was a part of."
Sources said that at a CWC meeting on Wednesday, some leaders asserted that Mr Tharoor had crossed the "Lakshman Rekha" with his repeated remarks on the India-Pakistan conflict. "We are a democratic party and people keep expressing their opinion, but this time, Mr Tharoor has crossed the Lakshman Rekha," one of them said.
Mr Tharoor also said that "to my mind, it was merely a contribution to a very important national discourse at a time when, frankly, when it was important for us to rally around the flag, especially internationally".
"There was a relative lack of our point of view being heard, particularly in Europe, the Middle East, the US and so on. When stations from those countries approached me, I felt it was my duty to give my point of view that I believe accurately reflects my understanding anyway of what India believes and stands for and would have done," he said.
He said he has no access to any classified information on the conflict. "I am giving my personal opinion as somebody who has been witnessing and watching world affairs from close waters for a very long time. That's about it. People are entirely welcome to reject my point of view, that is my point of view, that's all, to which I believe I am entitled to," he said.
Mr Tharoor also said that his party colleague and spokesperson, Jairam Ramesh, is right in saying that the former is not the communications in-charge.
"He is correct. He is absolutely correct. I made it clear I am not a spokesperson of the party. I am not a spokesperson of the government either," he said.
Mr Tharoor recalled the Congress' all-out support to the Centre on the India-Pakistan tensions.
"Don't forget that my own party had declared complete solidarity with the government and the armed forces at the beginning of this conflict...," he said.
At a recent media briefing, Mr Ramesh was asked about Mr Tharoor's comments on the India-Pakistan tensions in recent interviews. "That is his opinion. When Mr. Tharoor speaks, it is his view and it is not the stand of the party," he said.
Earlier, Mr Tharoor made headlines for explaining India's position during interviews with international media. Among those who praised him was senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Amit Malviya.
The Congress MP has also praised the Centre's handling of the conflict. "I have no doubts that a meticulously planned operation like this came out of a sophisticated military headquarters. It's not some random, crazy doing something," he said, referring to Operation Sindoor that was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, and which escalated tensions between India and Pakistan.
