Shashi Tharoor responded to the backlash he received over his support for the government after the Pahalgam attack. During a public event in Kochi, the senior congress leader responded to a student by quoting the iconic line by Jawaharlal Nehru, “Who Lives If India Dies.”
Shashi Tharoor Responds To Backlash
During a public event in Kochi, a student asked Tharoor about the backlash he is receiving for his nation-first approach. This question comes after Tharoor showed support for the government after the Pahalgam attack. In response, the senior congress leader made his stance clear. He emphasised the idea that the nation should be prioritised over political interests by using the famous quote “Who Lives If India Dies” by former Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.
Shashi Tharoor, who is a Congress committee member and MP from Thiruvananthapuram, has been vocal on his stance regarding the Pahalgam attack. Following that incident, the senior Congress member voiced his view on the matter, becoming a key voice in Indian diplomacy. On top of his support for the government, he was also at the receiving end of criticism for his views that did not align with Congress’s overall party agenda.
During this event, he doubled down on this nation-first approach by saying, “Put your differences aside when the nation is imperilled. India must come first, then only can we all live.”
“To My Mind, The Nation Comes First”
In his response to the student, Tharoor also shared his perspective on the role of political parties. He pointed out the problem that arises when parties view his nation’s first stance as disloyal. According to him, all political parties should share a common goal to develop India, and the disagreement should only arise in their approach to reaching that common goal.
“Which is your first loyalty? To my mind, the nation comes first. Parties are a means of making the nation better. Whichever party you belong to, the objective of that party is to create a better India in its way.”
Watch His Full Response:
In Kochi today, I was asking inevitable question by a high school student. While I have been steering clear of such political discussions in public, I felt a student deserved a response: pic.twitter.com/AIUpDBl0Kf
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 19, 2025
By using Jawaharlal Nehru’s powerful words and doubling down on his position, Tharoor has made it clear: for him, political affiliations must take a back seat when it comes to national security.
