Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has weighed in on the high-profile meeting between New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and US President Donald Trump, offering praise for the display of democratic maturity in Washington.
Posting on X, Tharoor remarked that “this is how a democracy ought to function — contest elections fiercely, argue without restraint, but once the mandate is clear, work together for the nation that both sides are sworn to serve.”
In a pointed reference to India’s current political climate, he added, “I wish we saw more such conduct in our own political arena — and I am doing what I can to move us in that direction.”
Tharoor’s comments come at a time when he has been under fire from sections of the Congress for complimenting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Ramnath Goenka Lecture, with some within the party questioning his continued presence in Congress if he acknowledges the BJP’s political strengths.
Yet Tharoor’s stature is built on more than party lines. Despite being a Congress MP, he is widely recognised as an intellectual heavyweight with deep knowledge across disciplines.
It was for this very reason that Prime Minister Modi entrusted him with international outreach efforts to unmask Pakistan’s terror machinery on global platforms.
Tharoor fulfilled that task so convincingly that he earned admiration across India — except, ironically, from certain corners of his own party.
Mamdani–Trump: A Remarkable Moment in US Politics
At the White House on November 21, President Donald Trump received the newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani with warmth — an unlikely scene, given their contrasting ideological worlds.
Trump, 79, who had previously labelled Mamdani a “100 per cent Communist Lunatic,” greeted the 34-year-old democratic socialist with notable cordiality.
Congratulating him on his victory, Trump referred to him as “Mr Mayor” and expressed confidence in his upcoming term.
Their conversation centred on everyday economic concerns: housing shortages, grocery inflation and household costs — bread-and-butter issues that dominated Mamdani’s campaign.
Trump acknowledged that “some of his ideas are actually similar to mine,” while Mamdani spoke about engaging with Trump-leaning voters anxious about rising living costs.
Both leaders consciously steered away from polarising issues such as immigration and the Gaza conflict, choosing instead to focus on shared civic priorities.
A Model of Democratic Maturity
Tharoor’s praise frames the Mamdani–Trump interaction as an example of political grace — a reminder that differences need not prevent cooperation.
In contrast to India’s sharply adversarial political environment, Tharoor’s message underscores the urgent need for respectful dialogue, even amid ideological battles.
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