Shashi Tharoor was apparently among the MPs the Congress considered fielding for the discussion on Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha, but he is said to have opted out, preferring to represent the party in a later discussion on a port-related bill.

Neither the Congress nor Tharoor commented on this in public, with the Thiruvananthapuram MP cryptically saying “maun vrat (silence)” to reporters who asked him if he would intervene in the Operation Sindoor discussion.

Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi and fellow MP from Kerala, Kodikkunnil Suresh, were apparently tasked by the party leadership to reach out to Tharoor, who is said to have been miffed for months over not being allowed enough opportunities to speak in the Lok Sabha.

This predates the government offering him leadership of one of the seven all-party delegations sent abroad in May to mobilise opinion against Pakistan’s sponsorship of terrorism.

The Congress offer came soon after Tharoor told three MPs from Kerala last week about feeling slighted by the party in Parliament. Had he spoken in Parliament on Operation Sindoor, Tharoor would have had to toe the party line. He has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his response after the Pahalgam attack, making it awkward for the Congress, though it had extended full support to the government in dealing with the terror strike.