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Hours after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge took a veiled but sharp dig at the party’s Shashi Tharoor over his praise for PM Modi, the latter put up a post on X which is being seen as a reply to the chief of the Grand Old Party. In a post on X with a bird’s photograph, Tharoor wrote, "Don't ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one”.

Kharge, amid chatter over Shashi Tharoor’s praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said that it's "country first for us, but for some people, it's Modi first". By far, this is seemingly one of the most direct comments on Tharoor from Congress’ top leadership. Earlier, several leaders of the Grand Old Party fired barbs at Tharoor over his remarks in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.

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— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 25, 2025

The remarks by the Congress chief came amid the buzz over an article that Shashi Tharoor wrote about India’s outreach in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. In an article in the newspaper The Hindu, Tharoor wrote that Prime Minister Modi's energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remained a "prime asset" for India on the global stage but deserved greater backing. 

According to NDTV, Tharoor, at an event in Moscow, said that his article was not a sign of his leaping to join BJP but a statement of national unity and interest and standing up for India.

However, the Grand Old Party has distanced itself from the comment made by Tharoor.  "It may be his own opinion, it is not the opinion of the Congress party. It is not the Congress's view since we have presented our views with evidence and proof," party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate told the media, reports NDTV.

On Wednesday, Kharge said that Tharoor is very fluent in English. "I can't read English well. His language is very good. That's why we have made him a Congress Working Committee member," he said.

Kharge added that after the attack in Pahalgam that led to the killings of 26 innocents, the entire opposition stands with the army. 

"We said the country comes first, party later. Some people feel 'Modi first, country later'. What can we do?,” Kharge said, and it is being seen as a comment for his part colleague.