Last Updated:November 09, 2025, 17:52 IST

Shashi Tharoor praised L.K. Advani on his 98th birthday, defending his legacy and urging fair judgment. Advocate Sanjay Hedge criticised Tharoor’s post.

Shashi Tharoor wishes LK Advani on his 98th birth anniversary. (Photo: X/ShashiTharoor)

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday defended former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani’s political legacy. Tharoor’s birthday wish and praise for the veteran BJP leader drew sharp criticism from a Supreme Court Advocate. Defending Advani over 1990’s Ram Rath Yatra, Tharoor said, just like former PM Jawaharlal Nehru cannot only be judged by the “China setback” or Indira Gandhi’s career only by the Emergency, the senior BJP leader’s legacy ‘can’t be judged through one episode.’

“Reducing his long years of service to one episode, however significant, is also unfair. The totality of Nehruji’s career cannot be judged by the China setback, nor Indira Gandhi’s by the Emergency alone. I believe we should extend the same courtesy to Advaniji,” Tharoor wrote on X.

Debate sparked after the Congress MP wished the former Deputy PM on his 98th birth anniversary on November 8. Tharoor praised his “unwavering commitment to public service, modesty, and his role in shaping the trajectory of modern India.”

“Wishing the venerable Shri L.K. Advani a very happy 98th birthday! His unwavering commitment to public service, his modesty & decency, and his role in shaping the trajectory of modern India are indelible. A true statesman whose life of service has been exemplary,” Tharoor wrote on X.

However, Tharoor’s wishes received backlash and people alleged that Tharoor was whitewashing the true history of the BJP leader. A Supreme Court Advocate, Sanjay Hedge, criticised Tharoor, saying that Advani “unleashing the dragon seeds of hatred” could not be called “public service”, referencing the Ram Rath Yatra carried out in 1990.

“Sorry Mr Tharoor, unleashing the “dragon seeds of hatred” (to quote Khushwant Singh) in this country is NOT public service,” his post read.

Congress Reacts

Congress leader Pawan Khera reacted to Shashi Tharoor’s statement and said ‘Tharoor speaks for himself’. Khera wrote on X, “Like always, Dr. Shashi Tharoor speaks for himself and the Indian National Congress outrightly dissociates itself from his most recent statement. That he continues to do so as a Congress MP and CWC member reflects the essential democratic and liberal spirit unique to INC.”

Tharoor and Hedge engaged in a discussion, with Tharoor defending Advani’s legacy and comparing the legacies of former PMs Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Hedge maintained that the Rath Yatra was a significant episode that reversed the foundational principles of the Indian Republic, setting the stage for future conflicts and violence.

Read More