Kochi: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has praised the BJP-led central government's 'vaccine diplomacy', triggering another round of possible discontent within his party over his approach to the Narendra Modi regime.

Tharoor lauded India’s vaccine diplomacy during the Covid pandemic as "a powerful example of international leadership rooted in responsibility and solidarity"in an article published in The Week. He chose the topic on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the national lockdown prompted by the pandemic.

In his article, Tharoor said India emerged as a key player in global health diplomacy with its initiative to supply the two major vaccines produced in the country to over 100 countries. 

"By delivering made-in-India vaccines to over 100 nations, India demonstrated its capacity to extend a helping hand when it mattered most.... The government was careful to couch its initiative as rooted in the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), emphasising global solidarity. That it also aligned with India’s neighbourhood first policy, strengthening ties with other countries in the subcontinent, was an added bonus. By so doing, India emerged as a key player in global health diplomacy, showcasing its capacity to address global challenges," he wrote.

The Congress leader said India also contributed to the global COVAX initiative, centred in the World Health Organisation (WHO), "a global effort to ensure equitable vaccine distribution that was shamefully under-resourced and inadequately supported by the richer developed countries". "India did what more affluent countries did not," he wrote.

Even as admitting that the second wave of Covid-19 temporarily disrupted India’s vaccine exports, highlighting the challenges of balancing domestic needs with international commitments, Tharoor said "India’s vaccine diplomacy remains a significant chapter in its foreign policy, reflecting its ability to combine humanitarianism with strategic interests". 

Notably, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had vehemently criticised the Modi government’s vaccine policy during the pandemic calling it “discriminatory”.

Tharoor’s latest article comes amid the criticism he has been facing from within his party for praising the Modi government over a number of issues, including the Ukraine war and the PM’s talks with US President Donald Trump. 

Earlier this month, Tharoor had praised the Modi government’s stand on the Russia-Ukraine crisis saying he realised that India, with its unshaken ties to both nations, could proactively play the role of a peacemaker. Tharoor said India’s Prime Minister could visit Russia and Ukraine in two weeks and hug their presidents. He said the unique bonhomie between the three nations placed India in a distinctive position to make “ever-lasting peace”. 

Last month, Tharoor posted a selfie with Union Minister Piyush Goyal and praised the government for reviving the long-stalled free trade agreement (FTA) with the UK.

Tharoor’s frequent praises of the BJP-led government has irked his colleagues in the Congress on previous occasions. Though his remarks were often interpreted as a prelude to him switching over to the BJP, he has rubbished such rumours saying he was only expressing his views in the interest of the nation.

In a podcast interview with The Indian Express in February, Tharoor clarified his stance, stating, “I have always identified myself as a Congressman, and I have never held discussions about joining the BJP with anyone because I have no such intention. It has never even crossed my mind. So, I don’t know who thought about it or assumed it, but I have never entertained such an idea.”

Addressing the broader issue of political allegiance, he remarked, “Every party has its own history and beliefs. If one cannot align with a party’s ideology, switching to another is not the right approach. Everyone has the freedom to remain independent if they choose to.”