Congress divided over Rahul's criticism of Modi's foreign policy: Report
What's the story
Senior Congress leaders have publicly disagreed with party leader Rahul Gandhi over the handling of the Iran conflict and domestic LPG supply issues. While Gandhi has criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy as "compromised," other senior leaders like Shashi Tharoor, Kamal Nath, Anand Sharma, and Manish Tewari have praised the government's approach. Tharoor described it as "responsible statecraft," in stark contrast to Gandhi's criticism, where he called Modi's leadership "compromised."
Diplomatic praise
Other senior leaders praised India's diplomatic handling
Congress MP Manish Tewari also expressed support for the government's approach to the West Asia war, stating on a TV news channel that "the government is likely doing the right thing." Former Union Minister Anand Sharma lauded India's diplomatic handling of the crisis as "mature and skillful," while Madhya Pradesh's former Chief Minister Kamal Nath rejected claims of an LPG shortage in India. He said, "It is just an atmosphere being created that there is a shortage."
Political fallout
BJP seizes on rift in Congress
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has seized on this rift in the Congress, with Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia citing Nath's comments to counter the party's criticism of the government. BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also slammed Gandhi as "Congress leaders know Rahul Gandhi is an opportunist; Anti-India Man!" This isn't the first time such a rift has emerged within Congress ranks under Gandhi's leadership.
Historical context
Similar situation after India launched Operation Sindoor
A similar situation had arisen in 2025 after India launched "Operation Sindoor" against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan. While Gandhi criticized the operation, Tharoor and Tewari supported it. Neither was allowed to speak by Congress during a parliamentary debate on the operation. According to India Today, the current rift over the Iran conflict and LPG supply further highlights the divisions within Congress over key national issues.