Shashi Tharoor praises Modi govt's Covid vaccine diplomacy: ‘Powerful example’

In a rare expression of praise for the opposite camp, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor recently lauded PM Narendra Modi-led NDA government's vaccine diplomacy during the Covid-19 pandemic and termed it a "powerful example of international leadership."

In a column written for English Magazine The Week, Tharoor said, "India’s vaccine diplomacy during the Covid pandemic stands out amid the horrors of that time as a powerful example of international leadership rooted in responsibility and solidarity. By delivering made-in-India vaccines to over 100 nations, India demonstrated its capacity to extend a helping hand when it mattered most."

The veteran Congress leader lauded the Vaccine Maitri initiative launched by the BJP government in the Centre in the year 2021, which exported vaccines to over 100 countries, including nations across West Asia, Africa, Latin America, and our immediate neighbourhood.

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Tharoor's article is one of the many recent praises for the Modi camp, coming amid reports of a rift between the Congress and the veteran leader over Kerala leadership.

The op-ed, which was centred around India's strength as a soft power during the years rooted in the field of technology and training, also talked about how India extended medical and healthcare aid to other countries during the pandemic.

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"Our efforts were not limited merely to the provision of vaccines but extended to the sending of Indian military doctors to Nepal, the Maldives, and Kuwait, and to organising online training for health care workers across South Asian nations," he wrote.

Shashi Tharoor praises for Modi government amid rift rumours

Tharoor's appreciation for the BJP government comes at a time when the Congress leader is making headlines with a series of events - a podcast, selfie, and a cryptic post - pointing towards his rift with Congress.

Earlier, Tharoor, a Congress MP from Kerala, appreciated PM Modi's anti-war stance on the Russia- Ukraine conflict after the Indian leader said on global forums that "peace cannot be found on the battlefield."