Milind Deora and Shashi Tharoor Exchange Jabs

Milind Deora and Shashi Tharoor Exchange Jabs Over Panama Earthquake and Political Tremors

A social media exchange between Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor turned a real-world natural disaster into a political sparring match, with both leaders trading barbs over tectonic shifts and opposition stability. The digital exchange unfolded after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Panama, prompting a lighthearted post from Deora that quickly drew a political response from his former party colleague.

Deora, who left the Congress party to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in 2024, posted on social media that it was good to be back in Panama just days after the major earthquake hit the transcontinental country. “Another tremor or two made their presence felt while I was there. Thankfully, Panama and I are both safe!” Deora wrote.

Shashi Tharoor Responds With INDIA Bloc Jibe

Tharoor replied by noting he was glad his former colleague survived the tremors, before shifting the conversation to domestic politics in India. Referencing ongoing protests by the Opposition INDIA bloc, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), and other groups, Tharoor questioned whether the NDA was feeling the ground shake.

“Reassuring to know that our friends are doing well, @milinddeora, and that you have survived the tremors in Panama! Your allies may be feeling the ground shaking beneath their feet here in India though…” Tharoor wrote.

Milind Deora Fires Back on Opposition Pecking Order

Deora responded by leaning into earthquake metaphors, asking whether opposition parties were the ones truly rattled by new political movements like the CJP threatening their popularity. “I suspect you’re referring to new entrants triggering tectonic shifts in the Opposition’s established pecking order?” Deora posted with a winking emoji.

When Deora resigned from the Congress party in 2024, he publicly labeled the organization “suffocating and toxic,” stating it bore little resemblance to the party his father, former Union Minister Murli Deora, joined in 1968. Last year, the MP, who is also a former Union Minister, criticized Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi over claims of “vote chori” (theft) and asserted that the Congress should address its own lack of internal democracy first.

Delhi Protests Drive Political Tensions

The social media banter coincides with active street protests in Delhi and other regions led by the INDIA bloc and the CJP. Demonstrators are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing allegations of unilateral functioning and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Protests escalated following a report stating that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised questions about the SIR and other issues, but their concerns were not heard.

Authorities detained CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and All India Students’ Federation president Neha Bora before a march at Connaught Place. The march had been organised to protest the arrest of CJP spokespersons Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das after they entered Jantar Mantar with the Tricolour after it was denotified as a protest site.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Milind Deora leave the Congress party?

Milind Deora resigned from the Congress party and joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in 2024, describing his former party as suffocating and toxic.

What triggered the recent street protests in Delhi?

Protests by the INDIA bloc and the CJP were sparked by a report stating that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised questions about the SIR and other issues, but their concerns were not heard.

Which political figures were detained ahead of the Connaught Place march?

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and All India Students’ Federation president Neha Bora were detained by authorities before the march began.