In a nuanced departure from his party’s long-held criticism, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday defended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart Lal Krishna Advani, saying his decades-long contribution to Indian politics should not be reduced to the controversial Rath Yatra alone.
Responding to reactions on social media after extending birthday wishes to Advani on his 98th birthday, Tharoor emphasised that judging a leader’s legacy solely by one contentious episode was both “unfair and narrow.”
“Reducing his long years of service to one episode, however significant, is also unfair,” Tharoor wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “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.”
On Saturday, the Thiruvananthapuram MP had posted an old photograph with the veteran BJP leader, describing him as a “true statesman whose life of service has been exemplary.” He added, “Wishing the venerable Shri L.K. Advani a very happy 98th birthday! His unwavering commitment to public service, his modesty and decency, and his role in shaping the trajectory of modern India are indelible.”
Tharoor’s remarks drew mixed responses across political and social circles. While some praised his statesmanship and willingness to rise above partisan divides, others sharply criticised him for what they viewed as an unnecessary rehabilitation of a polarising figure.
Senior Supreme Court lawyer Sanjay Hegde was among those who disagreed with Tharoor’s assessment. In his response, Hegde referenced author Khushwant Singh’s famous remark about Advani, saying, “Sorry Mr Tharoor, unleashing the ‘dragon seeds of hatred’ in this country is not public service.”
He further elaborated, “The Rath Yatra was not an episode but a long march to reverse the foundational principles of India. It set the stage for 2002 and 2014 and thereafter. Like Draupadi’s dishonour that led to the Mahabharata, the Rath Yatra and its legacy of violence continue to haunt the destiny of this country.”
L.K. Advani’s 1990 Ram Rath Yatra, which began from Somnath in Gujarat and was aimed at mobilising support for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in Ayodhya, remains one of the most divisive events in India’s political history. The campaign is widely seen as a catalyst for the rise of Hindutva politics, but also blamed for communal polarisation that culminated in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992.
