Congress-BJP Clash Over Shashi Tharoor’s Praise for PM Modi’s G7 Seafarer Diplomacy The Congress Party has publicly rebu…

A fierce internal conflict has erupted within the Congress Party after Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forceful diplomacy regarding civilian seafarer safety at the 2026 G7 summit, triggering sharp public rebukes from his party colleagues and drawing immediate exploitation from the Bharatiya Janata Party.

New Delhi | The Congress on Saturday slammed party member Shashi Tharoor over his “admiration” for Narendra Modi, saying it appears to have transcended the physical world as he now seems capable of hearing what the prime minister never even said.

Tharoor, the party’s Thiruvananthapuram MP, however, said he found it extraordinary that a statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors was given a partisan twist.

The row was sparked by Tharoor’s reported remarks that “PM Modi made his point clear both in the public and private meetings with the president.”

He reportedly said, “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.”

Asked about the comments, Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said at a press conference that he had not seen Tharoor’s statement but he had also not seen in the India-US joint statement a mention of the killing of 3 Indian sailors by the United States in the Gulf of Oman, challenging of Trump’s repeated claim on halting Operation Sindoor, and the attack on Iranian frigate IRIS Dena.

Tharoor on X responded, “Frankly, I find it extraordinary that a statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors is being twisted into a partisan political controversy. 3 Indians lost their lives. My remarks were about the safety of our citizens and the principle that civilian seafarers should never be targets of military action.”

If some people are more interested in scoring political points than addressing that concern, that says more about them than it does about me, he said.

Concern for Indian lives should unite us, not divide us, the former Union minister asserted.

Later, tagging a video clip of his own remarks at the presser, Khera on X said, “My senior colleague Dr Shashi Tharoor’s admiration for PM Modi appears to have transcended the limitations of the physical world. He now seems capable of hearing what Modi doesn’t even say.”

Khera said that according to the official MEA readout of the Modi-Trump meeting on the sidelines of the G7, there was no mention of the “cold-blooded killing” of 3 Indian sailors by the United States in the Gulf of Oman.

“This was the first Modi-Trump meeting after Operation Sindoor, yet there is no indication that Modi challenged Trump’s repeated claim – now made over 120 times – that he secured a ceasefire by threatening India with trade consequences,” the Congress leader said.

Khera added that there was also no mention of the attack on Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, India’s guest during MILAN-2026, in what is effectively India’s strategic backyard.

“And yet, 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. For devotees of the ‘Maha-Maanav Modi’, the less he says, the more they hear,” Khera said, in a scathing attack on the fellow party member.

Later, in an apparent reference to Khera, Tharoor on X said, “For those who believe I ‘heard’ words that @narendramodi never said at the G-7, I was merely alluding to widely published reports about his remarks. If you want to hear a report, here’s one.”

Tharoor shared a link to a media report on YouTube.

“Otherwise, this was Google Gemini’s summary: ‘At the G7 Outreach Session held in Evian, France (June 2026), Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly addressed the leaders of the G7 nations, including US President Donald Trump, regarding the sanctity of global shipping lanes and the urgent need to protect civilian maritime workers.

“The remarks carried intense diplomatic weight as they came directly on the heels of a major maritime crisis: just days prior, 3 Indian seafarers were killed in the Gulf of Oman when US military forces struck the merchant vessel Settebello over an alleged US blockade violation regarding Iranian oil transport,” the summary shared by Tharoor said.

“Here is a breakdown of the key points from the articles and reports detailing PM Modi’s address in Evian: The Core Message: Safety of Seafarers as a Global Duty. Speaking at the high-level session titled ‘Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity,’ Modi reframed the Middle East shipping disruptions not just as an economic concern, but as a critical human-security crisis.

“Several Indian civilians have also lost their lives. The safety of seafarers, who connect nations through global maritime trade, is our responsibility. We must ensure that sea routes remain secure and that seafarers can carry out their work without fear,” it said.

Tharoor said he reads widely and retains what he reads.

“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 about these remarks, which were reportedly made when our PM was seated next to @realDonaldTrump,” he said.

Meanwhile, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that Tharoor’s remarks on Modi’s handling of the seafarers issue before Trump contradict Rahul Gandhi’s stand.

“It is embarrassing. Yesterday was Rahul Gandhi’s birthday, but he did not receive any gift. Dr Shashi Tharoor contradicted Rahul Gandhi’s stand on the same issue, saying Prime Minister Modi articulated India’s position on the sailors’ issue very forcefully before President Trump and conveyed the country’s stance effectively,” Poonawalla said in a video statement.

He claimed, “Not just that, Tharoor has effusively praised Prime Minister Modi’s vision, articulation, dynamism and oratory. He has said Modi has left a stamp on the lives of Indians.”

Poonawalla also targeted the Congress over its projection of Rahul Gandhi as a future prime ministerial candidate and claimed that some leaders within the party do not share that view.

The controversy stemmed from Tharoor’s reported remarks that Prime Minister Modi had conveyed a message on the protection of civilian sailors during discussions with the US president.

Tharoor said his comments were based on published reports and not on any personal interpretation.

A fresh row erupted within the Congress on Saturday after senior leader Shashi Tharoor’s remarks regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi sparked criticism from his own party, prompting the Thiruvananthapuram MP to issue a detailed clarification and defend his comments.

The controversy began after Tharoor was reported as saying that Prime Minister Modi had conveyed a message regarding the protection of civilian sailors during interactions with the US president.

“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,” Tharoor reportedly said.

Congress Takes A Swipe

Responding to questions on the remarks, Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera launched a sharp attack on Tharoor.

Khera said it appeared Tharoor’s admiration for Prime Minister Modi had “transcended the physical world” and suggested that he now seemed capable of hearing what the prime minister had never even said.

The Congress leader also noted that he had not seen any reference in the India-US joint statement to the killing of 3 Indian sailors by the United States in the Gulf of Oman, challenging Donald Trump’s repeated claims regarding halting Operation Sindoor, or the attack on the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena.

Tharoor Says Issue Was About Indian Sailors

Responding on X, Tharoor expressed surprise that his remarks had become the subject of a political controversy.

“Frankly, I find it extraordinary that a statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors is being twisted into a partisan political controversy. 3 Indians lost their lives. My remarks were about the safety of our citizens and the principle that civilian seafarers should never be targets of military action.”

He added, “If some people are more interested in scoring political points than addressing that concern, that says more about them than it does about me.”

MP Shares Fresh Clarification

As criticism continued, Tharoor issued another post on X defending the basis of his remarks and rejecting suggestions that he had attributed words to the prime minister that were never spoken.

“For those who believe I ‘heard’ words that @narendramodi never said at the G-7, I was merely alluding to widely published reports about his remarks,” Tharoor wrote.

Sharing a report and a summary generated by Google’s Gemini, he said the reports described Modi’s comments at the G7 Outreach Session in Evian, France, where the prime minister allegedly highlighted the need to protect civilian maritime workers and maintain secure global shipping routes.

According to the summary shared by Tharoor, Modi had stressed that the safety of seafarers was a global responsibility and had linked maritime disruptions in the Middle East to wider economic and human-security concerns.

The summary cited by Tharoor stated: “Several Indian civilians have also lost their lives. The safety of seafarers, who connect nations through global maritime trade, is our responsibility. We must ensure that sea routes remain secure and that seafarers can carry out their work without fear.”

‘I Stand By My Summary’

Tharoor strongly maintained his professional reputation for factual precision, emphasizing his extensive reading habits. He concluded his defense by stating that he stands by his summary of the print media reports detailing the conversations that took place alongside Donald Trump.

## Geopolitical Backdrop: The Evian Maritime Crisis

The domestic political feud underscores deep anxieties over Indian maritime vulnerabilities in early 2026. The controversy directly follows the tragic deaths of 3 Indian crew members aboard the commercial vessel Settebello, which was struck by American military assets in the Gulf of Oman due to an alleged violation of oil transport blockades against Iran. Additionally, India’s strategic perimeter faced complications when the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, a participating vessel in India’s regional MILAN-2026 naval exercise, was attacked in nearby waters. The resulting diplomatic friction has intensified scrutiny on how robustly New Delhi confronts Washington over civilian casualties, transforming a localized security incident into a major axis of political conflict between the ruling BJP and the fractured opposition coalition.

FAQs

Why did the Congress Party criticize Shashi Tharoor?

The Congress Party rebuked Shashi Tharoor because he publicly lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supposedly challenging US President Donald Trump over seafarer safety, a claim that party spokesperson Pawan Khera asserted is completely absent from official diplomatic readouts.

What real-world incident triggered the G7 maritime discussions?

The diplomatic friction stems from an incident in the Gulf of Oman where US military forces struck the merchant ship Settebello over an alleged Iranian oil blockade violation, resulting in the deaths of three Indian civilian seafarers.

How did Shashi Tharoor defend his statements about PM Modi?

Shashi Tharoor defended his remarks by stating they were based on widely circulated print media accounts and an AI-generated summary of the G7 Outreach Session in Evian, France, rather than a personal fabrication or independent interpretation.

What stance did the Bharatiya Janata Party take on this dispute?

The BJP used the internal friction to embarrass the opposition, claiming that Tharoor’s praise of Modi’s strong global leadership explicitly contradicts the political positions held by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.