Kharge takes 'nation first' swipe at Tharoor's 'don't ask permission to fly'

THE widening rift between the Congress leadership and party leader Shashi Tharoor became more evident on Wednesday after the Thiruvananthapuram MP put up a cryptic post on X, which is widely being seen as a veiled reply to criticism by party colleagues' barbs.

- PREETHA NAIR @New Delhi

Minutes after party chief Mallikarjun Kharge remarked on Tharoor's article praising PM Modi, the Thiruvananthapuram MP shared a poster with an image of a bird, which read, "Don't ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one".

Taking a jibe at Tharoor, Kharge said his party believes in the "country first" mantra but for some it is "Modi first and country later".

Kharge's response came days after Tharoor's media article on 'Operation Sindoor's global outreach' sparked a political row. In his article, Tharoor said that PM Modi's energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remain a "prime asset" for India on the global stage but deserve greater backing.