The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday slammed the Congress after it distanced itself from Shashi Tharoor's praise for former deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani and said the grand old party cannot even stand their own MP extending a political courtesy.
Speaking to news agency ANI, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said Congress had even issued a 'fatwa' against Tharoor, which shows its intolerance, pointing out that this has not happened for the first time. He further said the Congress should rename itself to 'Indira Nazi Congress', as he took a dig at former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
"The Congress party should rename itself from 'Indian National Congress' to 'Indira Nazi Congress' because this is Indira Gandhi's emergency mindset and a Nazi way of behaving for a very politically correct wish that has been given to stalwart Bharat Ratna Advani by Shashi Tharoor on his birthday," Poonawalla said, adding that such political courtesies have always been maintained.
Tharoor's praise for Advani
On Saturday, Tharoor, an MP from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram, wished Advani on his 98th birthday and shared a photo with him on X. Later, veteran lawyer Sanjay Hegde criticised Advani while sharing Tharoor's post, but the Congress MP defended the BJP leader, saying his legacy cannot be undermined by just 'one episode'.
Hegde and Tharoor were referring to Advani's Rath Yatra, which many have criticised and blamed for the fall of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. "Reducing his long years of service to one episode, however significant, is also unfair," Tharoor said on Sunday, while drawing parallels to former PMs Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.
But later, Congress distanced itself from Tharoor's praise and said he 'speaks for himself'. "The Indian National Congress outrightly dissociates itself from his most recent statement," it posted on X.
Tharoor's history of debated remarks
Tharoor has had a history of making such remarks. On many occasions, the veteran Congress leader has taken a stance different than his party's, with him praising PM Narendra Modi and his government. However, the Congress has always distanced itself from Tharoor's debated statements.
