Centre Signals Openness to Debate on Operation Sindoor, Trump’s Mediation Remark; Kerala Congress Disowns Tharoor Over National Security Stand

As the Centre expressed readiness to discuss Operation Sindoor and U.S. President Donald Trump’s ceasefire mediation claims in Parliament, a parallel storm is brewing within the Congress party—this time from Kerala.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday stated that the government was open to debating any issue of national interest during the Monsoon Session, including the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and India’s subsequent military response, dubbed Operation Sindoor. He also said the government would respond “appropriately” to Trump’s controversial claim that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan—an assertion New Delhi has consistently denied.

But even as the Opposition prepares to corner the government over alleged intelligence lapses, Congress is facing its own internal rift—centered around senior leader and MP Shashi Tharoor.

Kerala Congress vs Tharoor: Rift Out in the Open

In a sharp escalation of tensions, senior Congress leader and MP K Muraleedharan on Sunday declared that Tharoor was no longer considered “one of us” within the Kerala Congress. His remarks came in response to Tharoor’s continued public endorsement of the Modi government’s national security policies following the Pahalgam attack.

Speaking at an event in Kochi, Tharoor had defended his position, saying, “The nation comes first. Political parties are only a means to make the country better… I will stand my ground because I believe this is the right thing for the country.”

Muraleedharan’s retort marked the latest in a series of confrontations between Tharoor and the state leadership, which has accused him of repeatedly undermining party unity with “pro-government” statements. The fissures deepened further after Tharoor praised India’s armed forces and the Centre’s military response, aligning—at least rhetorically—with the government’s stance on counterterrorism.

A Long-Running Feud

This isn’t the first time Tharoor has clashed with the party’s state leadership. Tensions trace back to his solo “Malabar tour” in late 2022, seen by many in the party as a bid to cultivate a personal support base. He was later sidelined from the Nilambur bypoll campaign despite being named a star campaigner—a move that signaled clear estrangement.

His article critical of Indira Gandhi’s Emergency, published in a Malayalam daily, also drew internal fire.

The tipping point appears to be his firm position on national security post-Operation Sindoor. “Which is your first loyalty? To my mind, the nation comes first,” Tharoor said, adding that calls for bipartisan unity in matters of national security are wrongly viewed as disloyalty within party ranks.

Party Leadership Divided

While the Kerala Congress is now openly distancing itself from Tharoor, the state unit has deferred any disciplinary action to the party’s central leadership. AICC has yet to weigh in on the matter, though pressure is mounting for a resolution—either through reconciliation or formal censure.

For now, Tharoor remains defiant, refusing to walk back his stance. Meanwhile, the Congress finds itself in a dilemma: whether to embrace principled dissent or crack down on voices seen as straying too far from the party line—especially in a heated political climate where national security and patriotism dominate public discourse.

As the Monsoon Session unfolds, the Congress will not only be challenging the government in Parliament—it may also have to confront widening fractures within its own ranks.