‘Is It So Difficult to Be Patriotic?’: Salman Khurshid’s Pointed Remarks Set to Unsettle Congress
In a move that has deepened the internal rift within the Congress party, senior leader and former Union Minister Salman Khurshid has sparked controversy by praising the Centre’s abrogation of Article 370 and questioning the lack of unity on India’s global mission against terrorism.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Khurshid wrote, “When on a mission against terrorism, to carry India’s message to the world, it’s distressing that people at home are calculating political allegiances. Is it so difficult to be patriotic?”
The remark is seen as a subtle jab at his critics within Congress who view such praise for the Narendra Modi government as a betrayal of party lines. His comments come in the wake of growing discomfort over fellow Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s recent endorsement of India’s surgical strikes under the Modi regime.
Khurshid, while addressing a gathering in Indonesia, stated that the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August 2019 has led to “positive changes” and increased prosperity in the region. He also acknowledged Pakistan’s attempts to derail the peace process through terrorism.
The Congress leadership has so far maintained silence over Khurshid’s remarks—unlike in Tharoor’s case, where the party publicly rebuked his comments as “Modi bhakti.” The BJP, however, was quick to welcome Khurshid’s stance on Article 370.
This latest episode follows Tharoor’s own trouble within the party after crediting the Modi government for authorizing India’s first cross-border surgical strike. Tharoor insisted that presenting India’s united stance on terrorism abroad was more important than engaging in domestic political debates.
“There will be time to address critics when we return to India,” Tharoor told the media.
The tension within Congress comes amid the government’s Operation Sindoor and a multi-party delegation that includes select Congress leaders. This selection has reportedly caused resentment among several within the party, especially as the delegation has projected a tone aligned with the government’s national security policy.
While Congress continues to demand accountability from the Centre over the Pahalgam terror attack and alleged intelligence lapses, the public praise from senior party veterans for the government’s handling of national security threatens to portray the party as a divided house.
With Khurshid and Tharoor speaking a language that resonates more with the ruling BJP’s narrative on terrorism and Kashmir, the Congress may face growing challenges in maintaining ideological cohesion within its ranks.
