Congress leaders exchange open letters amid foreign policy debate
March 12, 2026: A sharp public disagreement has erupted within the Indian National Congress after senior leaders Shashi Tharoor and Mani Shankar Aiyar exchanged strongly worded open letters over the ongoing tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel. The dispute began after Tharoor called for diplomacy and negotiations to end the conflict during a television interview, remarks that drew sharp criticism from Aiyar and exposed ideological differences within the party on international affairs.
In an open letter published in Frontline, Aiyar said he was “shocked to the core” by Tharoor’s comments, describing the conflict as an “illegal and sinful war on Iran by Israel in collaboration with the US and the West.” He accused Tharoor of adopting an “unprincipled and transactional” approach to public policy and suggested that his position appeared to endorse power politics. Aiyar also referred to Tharoor’s well-known speech at the Oxford Union but argued that his current stance reflected deference to American influence, comparing it with the pragmatic diplomacy of S. Jaishankar.
Responding in an open letter published by NDTV, Tharoor rejected the criticism and said his views were guided by a nationalist perspective that prioritises India’s interests, security and global standing. He reiterated that he had already described the war as illegal and called for an immediate end to hostilities. Invoking the legacy of Jawaharlal Nehru, Tharoor said India’s diplomacy has evolved from non-alignment to a multi-alignment approach while continuing to promote sovereignty and global justice, also noting the importance of stability in the Strait of Hormuz for energy supplies.