Thiruvananthapuram, July 21 (IANS) Amid rising tensions within the Congress party, senior leader and former Union Minister K. Muraleedharan on Sunday declared that Shashi Tharoor would no longer be invited to any party programme in Thiruvananthapuram unless he alters his stance on key national security issues.

His remarks have further exposed the widening rift between Tharoor and the party’s Kerala leadership.

Speaking to reporters, Muraleedharan said, “Till he (Tharoor) changes his stance, we will not invite him to any party programme held in Thiruvananthapuram. He is not with us, so there is no question of him boycotting an event.”

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) member was, according to Muraleedharan, “no longer considered one of us.”

The senior leader’s statement comes at a critical juncture, with the Congress and the INDIA bloc preparing to confront the Modi government in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.

They are expected to highlight what they term a “security lapse” in the Pahalgam terror attacks and question the outcomes of the government’s high-profile Operation Sindoor.

Tharoor, who had led an all-party delegation to the Americas as part of Operation Sindoor, had earlier said at a public event in Kochi that national interest must come before partisan politics.

“We must always put the country first. Political parties exist to make countries better,” he said.

Tharoor’s position — including expressions of support for the armed forces and the central government on national security — has drawn sharp criticism from within his own party.

“Many have attacked me for putting the nation first. But I will stand my ground because I believe this is the right thing to do for the country,” Tharoor asserted, defending his stand.

However, his remarks have not gone down well with senior Congress leaders, including Muraleedharan, who recently criticised Tharoor for sharing a survey that projected him as the most preferred Chief Ministerial face of the UDF.

“He should first decide which party he belongs to,” Muraleedharan retorted. Adding to the tensions, Tharoor’s recent article criticising the late Indira Gandhi’s handling of the Emergency in a Malayalam daily had also sparked backlash within party ranks.

Calling for clarity, Muraleedharan said, “If he feels constrained within the Congress, he should choose a clear political path.”

The feud has now become a full-blown internal crisis, raising questions about Tharoor’s future in the party and further complicating Congress’s unity efforts in Kerala ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

–IANS

aal/dan