Congress' Sukhdeo Bhagat's 'arrogant' dig at Shashi Tharoor: ‘When a kite flies high...’

Taking a sharp jibe at Shashi Tharoor, Congress leader Sukhdeo Bhagat compared the Thiruvananthapuram MP to an arrogant kite that fails to recognise the Congress ideology supporting his rise. Bhagat further stressed the importance of acknowledging the foundational support behind one's success.

Bhagat told ANI, “You must have seen many kites in the sky. When a kite flies very high, it becomes arrogant. But when the string is cut, the kite falls on the ground. Then it realises that the string was in someone else's hands. The string is in the hands of Congress, in the hands of Congress' ideology. I am not talking about cutting it, I am talking about realising that it is because of that string that you are at such a height.”

This comes a day after party chief Mallikarjun Kharge noted that his party believes in "country first" mantra but for some, it is "Modi first and country later".

Asked about Tharoor's article on Operation Sindoor outreach in which he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kharge said, "I want to say that the people of the opposition together said they are with the Army that is fighting (during Operation Sindoor)... We (the Congress) said the country is paramount and we will work together (with the government). We said 'country first, party later'. Some people say 'Modi first, country later'. What can we do about that?"

Soon after Kharge's remarks at a press conference, Tharoor put out a cryptic post on X in which there was an image of a bird with the caption -- “Don't ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one...”

Tharoor’s praise for the prime minister comes even as the Congress continues to criticise the Modi government’s foreign policy, claiming that Indian diplomacy is "crumbling" and the nation is facing global isolation.

In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, Tharoor’s remarks on India-Pakistan ties and diplomatic engagement have notably diverged from the official Congress line.

The Congress has been questioning the government over US President Donald Trump's claims of mediating a ceasefire between the two countries. Tharoor has often drawn criticism from his party and jibes aimed at him by Congress leaders for his stand.

(With agency inputs)