'No sir': Tharoor denies Rijiju's claim he called Congress anti-women
What's the story
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has denied Union Minister Kiren Rijiju's claim that he agreed his Congress party is anti-women. Rijiju had made the remark in an interview, recalling a conversation with Tharoor in Parliament. "I am sorry, but with the greatest respect for @KirenRijiju, at no point did I say or imply any such thing-- and I have seven witnesses in the photograph who can confirm that!" Tharoor wrote. "I am sorry but I did NOT agree in any way."
Twitter Post
'No, sir, that is NOT what I meant'
I am sorry, but with the greatest respect for @KirenRijiju, at no point did I say or imply any such thing -- and I have seven witnesses in the photograph who can confirm that!
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 28, 2026
"That was what he meant", our Minister says. No, sir, that is NOT what I meant. "That Congress can be… https://t.co/hkUsYgOY7a
Claim and counter
What did Rijiju say about Tharoor
Rijiju had said earlier, "Tharoor said to me after...Parliament session ended that no woman would consider him anti-women. I replied that yes, I agree that no one would call you anti-women, but your party is anti-women." He stated that Tharoor in a way "accepted" that Congress has an anti-women stance. "He meant that even if Congress may be anti-women, women would not consider...Tharoor anti-women. So what does that mean? It means that, in a way, he also accepted...Congress is anti-women."
Party stance
Congress has always championed women's rights: Tharoor
Refuting Rijiju's claim, Tharoor emphasized his support for women's rights and reservation. Tharoor reiterated that the Congress has always championed women's rights and reservation. He pointed out that under Sonia Gandhi's leadership, the party initiated the Women's Reservation Bill, "passed in the Rajya Sabha during our tenure and supported it in the Lok Sabha when it was brought by GoI in 2023." "We are totally....prepared to have it implemented right away--without linking it to delimitation," he added.