NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday reacted to his cryptic bird post, apparently directed towards the party’s top leadership. Tharoor dismissed to talk about his reported rift with the grand old party publicly, and said that if there were issues to discuss, they would be “discussed privately”.“I am not going to get into political issues here. If there are issues to discuss, they would be discussed privately, and when the time comes, I shall do so,” he said speaking to reporters at an event in Ahmedabad.Tharoor’s growing rift with the Congress Party has come into sharper focus following his recent remarks and social media posts that appeared to challenge the party’s leadership. “Don’t ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one,” the post said.The post drew response from Congress leader Manickam Tagore, who said, without taking any names, “Don’t ask permission to fly. Birds don’t need clearance to rise… But in today even a free bird must watch the skies—hawks, vultures, and ‘eagles’ are always hunting. Freedom isn’t free, especially when the predators wear patriotism as feathers.”Moreover, tensions between Tharoor and Congress leadership rose after he praised PM Modi’s diplomacy during Operation Sindoor in a Hindu article, describing his “energy” and “dynamism” as assets for India’s global standing. The PMO shared the piece, fuelling speculation about Tharoor’s loyalty. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge indirectly rebuked him, suggesting his praise for PM Modi was inappropriate. “We say nation first, but some consider Modi first, country later. What can we do about that?” he asked.Tharoor, however, clarified that his remarks reflected national interest, not support for the BJP.