‘Is It So Difficult to Be Patriotic?’: Salman Khurshid’s Remarks Stir Unease Within Congress

New Delhi: After Shashi Tharoor, senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Salman Khurshid has now sparked fresh turmoil within the Congress party by praising aspects of the Modi government’s counter-terrorism policy and its decision to abrogate Article 370 — positions that run contrary to the party’s official stance.

On Monday, Khurshid voiced frustration over political divisions at home, even as India continues its global campaign to expose Pakistan’s role in fostering terrorism. In a pointed post on X (formerly Twitter), he questioned:

“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 widely being seen as a veiled message aimed at critics within his own party.

Khurshid’s recent comments during an address in Indonesia — where he supported the abrogation of Article 370 and praised the resulting positive changes and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir — have further embarrassed the Congress leadership. While the party refrained from officially responding to Khurshid’s remarks, unlike in Tharoor’s case, the BJP was quick to welcome his statement.

Khurshid also emphasized that Pakistan-based terrorist groups are desperately trying to undo the progress made in the region since the Article 370 move in August 2019.

Only days earlier, Shashi Tharoor drew sharp criticism from his party for publicly crediting the Modi government with authorizing India’s first cross-border surgical strikes. Leading one of seven delegations on a global outreach mission, Tharoor had backed the government’s new security doctrine — prompting Congress leaders to accuse him of undermining the party’s position and glorifying the BJP.

In response, Tharoor promised to address the internal backlash upon his return.

“When we return to India, we will certainly address our critics and speak with our colleagues and the media,” he said, while defending the need to present a united front on terrorism during the foreign mission.

The Congress party has found itself in an increasingly uncomfortable position since the central government chose several senior Congress leaders for its high-level international delegations countering Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. The selections have triggered unease within the party, with many feeling sidelined and others accused of veering too close to the government’s line.

This dissonance has become more pronounced following Operation Sindoor, after which the Congress launched a sharp attack on the Centre — questioning how many jets Pakistan shot down, seeking accountability for the Pahalgam attack, and alleging possible intelligence leaks.

However, with veterans like Khurshid and Tharoor voicing support for the government's actions abroad, the Congress appears fractured — its internal contradictions increasingly playing out in the public eye.

With inputs from IANS