Congress MP Manish Tewari created a stir on Tuesday with a cryptic social media post after he was excluded from the list of party speakers during the ongoing Operation Sindoor debate in the Lok Sabha. In a subtle yet pointed message, Tewari posted a patriotic song from the classic 1970 film Purab Aur Paschim, starring Manoj Kumar.

Accompanying the song lyrics — “Hai preet jahaan ki reet sada, main geet wahaan ke gaata hoon, Bharat ka rehne waala hoon, Bharat ki baat sunata hoon, Jai Hind” — Tewari also shared a news report highlighting his and fellow MP Shashi Tharoor’s exclusion from the debate by the Congress leadership.

The post, while not overtly critical, has raised eyebrows within political circles and provided fresh ammunition for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to target the Congress for internal contradictions and sidelining experienced voices.

Both Tewari and Tharoor had previously been part of official delegations sent by the BJP-led central government to represent India’s position on terrorism at international platforms. According to sources cited by ANI, Tewari had submitted a formal request to speak during the crucial Operation Sindoor debate, but it was overlooked by the party high command.

Meanwhile, Shashi Tharoor maintained his silence when approached by reporters on Monday. “Maunvrat, maunvrat,” Tharoor repeated, indicating he had taken a vow of silence, and declined to comment further.

The debate on Operation Sindoor resumed in the Lok Sabha for the second day on Tuesday. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had opened the discussion on Monday, emphasizing that national security must remain above petty politics and distractions. “When the aim is to go higher, we should not pay attention to small issues because focusing on issues that remain comparatively small can divert attention from national security,” Singh asserted.