‘Who lives if India dies’: Shashi Tharoor quotes Nehru when asked about Congress backlash over cross-party stand

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said that the country must always come before party interests. Quoting former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Tharoor said, “Who lives if India dies?” He added that national unity must override political rivalry.

Shashi Tharoor reacted to an inquiry from a ‘high school’ student in Kochi regarding the criticism he has encountered from his party due to his diplomatic efforts across party lines and his nationalist position recently, particularly following the Pahalgam terror attack.

The  MP said, “Put your differences aside when the nation is imperilled. India must come first, then only can we all live.”

Tharoor, a Congress Working Committee member, reiterated that parties are merely a vehicle to serve the nation. “To my mind, the nation comes first. Parties are a means of making the nation better,” he said. “Whichever party you belong to, the objective of that party is to create a better India in its way.”

The Congress leader’s comments are in response to the criticism he has faced, especially after heading an all-party delegation to nations such as the US to express India’s stance on Pakistan and its connections to terrorism following the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. In the course of global outreach, Tharoor mentions that his remarks were intended to showcase a unified stance of India’s government and military at international platforms. However, the decision has not been well received by certain members of his party.

Last month, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge indirectly aimed at Tharoor, asserting that the Congress prioritizes the “country first,” whereas “for some, it is Modi first and country second.” Tharoor emphasized that although parties might vary in ideology, like capitalism versus socialism or regulation versus free market, they should all strive for a “better, safer India.”

He added, “Politics is… about competition. When people like me say we respect our parties… but we need to cooperate with other parties in the interest of national security, sometimes the parties feel this is disloyal. That becomes a big problem.”

“A lot of people have been very critical of me because of the stand I’ve taken supporting our armed forces and our government… But I will stand my ground because I believe this is the right thing for the country,” the Congress leader said.

When asked on the sidelines of the event whether he had issues with the Congress high command, Tharoor declined to comment. “I came to give two speeches,” he said, as reported by news agency.

On a separate note, Tharoor was also asked about a survey that suggested he is the most preferred chief ministerial face of the Congress-led UDF in Kerala. “Someone forwarded it to me and I did a salute as a reply,” he said. “I did not have anything more to say. I did not comment and I am not making any comment.”