Tharoor defends Advani's legacy after 'statesman' remark backlash
What's the story
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has defended former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani's political legacy. He argued that no leader's legacy should be reduced to a single event, comparing Advani to former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. "Reducing his long years of service to one episode, however significant, is unfair," Tharoor wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Birthday tribute
Tharoor's earlier wishes for Advani
Tharoor had earlier wished Advani on his 98th birthday, calling him a "true statesman" and praising his "unwavering commitment to public service." However, these remarks were met with criticism online. Supreme Court advocate Sanjay Hegde slammed Tharoor's comparison of Advani with Nehru and Gandhi. He argued that Advani's role in the Rath Yatra was not public service but rather unleashed hatred in the country.
Twitter Post
Sanjay Hegde's post on Shashi Tharoor's remarks
. Agreed, @sanjayuvacha, but 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…
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 9, 2025
Political impact
Rath Yatra's significance and historical context
The Rath Yatra, which started in Somnath and was stopped in Bihar, is seen as a precursor to the Babri Masjid demolition on December 6, 1992. Tharoor defended his position by saying historical figures should be looked at as a whole instead of one episode. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited Advani on his birthday, calling him "a statesman blessed with towering vision and intellect."