NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party national vice-president Baijayant Jay Panda on Friday shared a selfie with Congress leader Shashi Tharoor from a flight on social media.
However, what caught the attention was the BJP leader’s quirky caption, “My friend & fellow traveler called me mischievous for saying that we seem to be finally travelling in the same direction.”
The selfie comes days after Tharoor’s “egg on face” remark on India’s Russia-Ukraine stance which gave ammunition to BJP to corner Congress.
The BJP highlighted Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s praise of India’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine war, calling it an endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diplomatic acumen.
Senior BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP Ravi Shankar Prasad welcomed Tharoor’s admission that his initial criticism of the government’s neutral stance on the war was misplaced. Describing it as a case of “better late than never,” Prasad said, “The Modi government takes decisions that serve India’s best interests. If other Congress leaders acknowledge this as well, it would be beneficial.”
BJP MP and national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi asserted that India’s diplomatic prowess is evident to anyone who understands global affairs. He pointed out that Modi’s ability to engage warmly with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy demonstrates India’s balanced foreign policy.
“India has transitioned from a non-aligned approach to an ‘all-aligned’ diplomacy under PM Modi,” Trivedi stated. “We are emerging as a friend to the world, and this is precisely what a senior Congress leader has recognised.”
Tharoor, a former minister of state for external affairs, had admitted on Tuesday that India’s approach allowed Modi to maintain strong ties with both Russia and Ukraine. He remarked, “I am still wiping the egg off my face because I was among those who criticized India’s position in February 2022.”
Defending his revised stance, Tharoor clarified that he spoke as an Indian rather than as a politician.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra urged Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, as well as other opposition leaders, to follow Tharoor’s example and acknowledge India’s diplomatic success under Modi. “They should recognize India’s unique global standing and appreciate Tharoor for his candid acknowledgment,” Patra said.