Members have freedom of speech but the party’s view is paramount, says Congress, without naming anyone

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh.

The Congress on Saturday said its members had absolute freedom of speech to express their views but the party’s view was paramount.

“The Indian National Congress is our country’s ONLY political party where there is absolute freedom of speech as well as freedom after speech,” Congress’s communications chief Jairam Ramesh said on social media platform X.

“Members give their views on issues which are, on occasion, their own and that do not reflect the opinion of the party as a collective entity. It is the party’s stance that is paramount,” Mr. Ramesh added.

Though he didn’t name any particular leader, the party’s statement comes a day after senior leader and Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor’s comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the U.S. and the latter’s joint press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP had hailed the Prime Minister’s visit as “a significant development since Mr. Modi was the fourth head of government to have been given an appointment by President Trump”.

Mr. Tharoor’s comments on Friday were at odds with the position taken by former Congress chief and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who has claimed that Mr. Modi was covering up the alleged corruption of industrialist Gautam Adani.

Defending his position, Mr. Tharoor asserted that he could not always speak only in terms of the party’s interest. He said that he spoke in national interest and as a “responsible stakeholder in Indian democracy and an elected representative of Thiruvananthapuram”.

Mr. Tharoor said he believes that India had done well in terms of getting the U.S. to the negotiating table on tariffs, while raising concerns about the manner in which the illegal immigrants were treated.

He added that in his 16-year-long political career, he had applauded when a government, be it a Congress government or some other party’s, did the right thing.

“I have been on both sides. I have criticised and praised in fairness and justice, always on the basis of specific points…We can’t only speak in terms of party interest. I am not a party spokesman,” he told reporters.

On Friday, welcoming the Prime Minister’s visit, the Thiruvananthapuram MP had said: “The press statements by both the Prime Minister and President Trump are very encouraging. The big concerns we all had have been addressed. For example, on the question of trade and tariffs, they have decided to sit down together and do a serious negotiation and conclude by the fall (September-October).”

On the illegal immigration issue, Mr. Tharoor said: “The only thing missing there from what Prime Minister Modi said was the question of the manner in which these people were treated and sent back. I think his stand was absolutely correct. I hope some things were said behind closed doors and not in the press conference.”