In what is clearly a fresh rift within the Congress ranks, senior party leader Udit Raj launched a sharp attack on fellow party MP Shashi Tharoor over his comments on India’s cross-border strikes. Raj accused Tharoor of downplaying Congress-era military achievements and promoting BJP's narrative.
The controversy erupted after Tharoor, speaking in Panama City during the Operation Sindoor outreach, described the 2016 Uri surgical strike as ‘the first time India breached the Line of Control (LoC)’ to hit a terror base in Pakistan.
Responding on social media platform X (former Twitter), Udit Raj wrote: “Alas! I could prevail upon PM Modi to declare you as super spokesperson of BJP… How could you denigrate the golden history of Congress by saying that before PM Modi, India never crossed LoC and international border?”
Raj further cited historical instances of cross-border military action, including the 1965 and 1971 wars, and covert operations conducted during the UPA era. "In 1965, Indian Army entered Pakistan at multiple points, which completely surprised the Pakistanis in the Lahore sector. In 1971, India tore Pakistan into two pieces and during UPA Govt several surgical strikes were unleashed but drum beating was not done to encash politically. How could you be so dishonest to the party which gave you so much?" he wrote.
Tharoor’s remarks come amid a major diplomatic and military outreach effort to speak about Operation Sindoor, where all-party delegations are highlighting India’s firm response to terrorism following the Pahalgam attack. The operation involved India striking multiple terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
While praising India’s evolving counter-terror posture, Tharoor said, “This time, we crossed not only the Line of Control but also the international border… and we struck the terrorist headquarters in Balakot.”
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