Lok Sabha Member of Parliament, Shashi Tharoor. File
| Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy
Facing flak from his own leaders, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Monday (June 22, 2026) that the purpose of his visit to J&K was to study “Indo-Pak relations, Sino-Indian relations, and the functioning of passport offices and passport seva kendras” in J&K and Ladakh and “not to assess conditions in the Kashmir Valley”.
“I want to make it very clear that this is not a visit about assessing the conditions in the Kashmir Valley. The committee is here to study three issues: Indo-Pak relations, Sino-Indian relations, and the functioning of passport offices and passport seva kendras. These are the only issues we are studying. We are not here to look at domestic matters; that is not our mandate. We are the External Affairs Committee,” said Mr. Tharoor.
His remarks came a day after he posted on X about the meeting with J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. “Discussing the situation in the State and the encouraging progress towards normalcy. Many challenges remain and much remains to be done, but I left the meeting feeling more positive than I have felt for a while,” said Mr. Tharoor.
Reacting to the statement, Congress leader Pawan Khera said, “Mr. Tharoor should talk to everyone about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, including youth, businessmen, Kashmiri Pandits, and civilians. I fully believe that Dr. Shashi Tharoor will meet everyone and then change his opinion, as he is an educated person.”
J&K Congress chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma also expressed reservations about Mr. Tharoor’s “remarks”. “Mr. Tharoor should have made some time to meet the people of the Kashmir Valley,” said Mr. Sharma.
Ruling National Conference leader Shafqat Watali said Mr. Tharoor’s “Outreach on selective basis did not bear fruit. Does the L-G know what’s in the hearts and minds of the people of J&K and is he willing to know. Are he and his bosses in a position to give citizens of J&K what they deserve and desire?”
Passport delays
Mr. Tharoor is touring J&K and Ladakh as head of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs. “We are concerned about some of the delays that have been impeding passport issuance in this area, and we have been raising some very strong questions because we want to see improvements and speeding up of the passport delivery for applicants in Kashmir, Leh, Srinagar and Jammu.”
He said, “The MPs here have found it a very meaningful visit. We’ve had some very strong and constructive discussions.”
Touring the border areas of Jammu, Mr. Tharoor also commended the BSF for “keeping the country safe”. “I believe everyone should witness this firsthand. Every Indian citizen should take the opportunity to visit the border and see the work our soldiers are doing. It was a wonderful experience.”
Published – June 22, 2026 06:25 pm IST
