Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday, 19 June offered a nuanced assessment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure, describing him as a 'powerful orator' with an 'articulate vision', even as he raised pointed concerns about communal polarisation and the weakening of independent institutions. Tharoor's remarks came shortly after Modi became the longest continuously serving elected head of government in India's history.

The Praise: Vision, Energy, and Infrastructure

Tharoor acknowledged Modi's political stature in unambiguous terms. 'I think we all recognise that he has a tremendous amount of dynamism and energy, that he has a vision. Whether you agree with that vision or not, he articulates a vision. He is a powerful orator, perhaps one of the best orators this country has seen in Hindi,' Tharoor said.

He further noted that Modi commands a 'very compelling presence on the national stage' and has 'been able to leave his stamp on many aspects of Indian life, society and politics.' On the economic front, Tharoor credited Modi's government for progress in infrastructure development, while noting there remains room for improvement.

The Concerns: Communal Divide and Federalism

Tharoor, however, was equally direct about what he sees as the darker chapters of the past 12 years. He expressed concern over 'growing disunity within the country' and 'a lot of political rhetoric that is being encouraged by the ruling party and their followers, in ways that have unfortunately alienated significant sections of the population.'

The Congress leader also flagged anxieties in southern India over the future of federalism. 'People in the southern part of the country are worried about the survival of federalism,' he said — a reference to longstanding tensions over resource allocation, language policy, and delimitation that have periodically strained Centre-state relations.

Institutions Under Pressure

Tharoor echoed the broader Opposition narrative on institutional autonomy, citing what he described as the 'hollowing out' of independent constitutional bodies. Referring to Opposition allegations that the Centre has weaponised the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Election Commission of India (ECI), he said: 'There are real concerns in many ways about the manner in which the independent autonomous institutions of our democracy have been hollowed out in the course of these last 12 years.'

This is not the first time such concerns have been raised. Opposition parties have repeatedly alleged selective use of investigative agencies against political rivals — charges the government has consistently denied.

A Balanced Verdict

Despite his criticisms, Tharoor was careful to frame his overall assessment as balanced rather than adversarial. 'Personally, I think he has done a lot of things right, but this period has also witnessed a number of things that are not so good for India,' he said, adding that he holds 'a lot of respect' for the Prime Minister.

The remarks are notable coming from one of the Congress party's most prominent voices — a former UN Under-Secretary-General known for his command of language and cross-partisan appeal. As Modi's record-setting tenure draws continued national attention, assessments like Tharoor's — measured but pointed — are likely to shape the terms of political debate ahead of future electoral cycles.