New Delhi, June 24 -- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday firmly dismissed speculation about a political realignment, saying his recent article praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diplomatic outreach was not a sign of "leaping to join" the BJP but a statement of national unity and interest.

Congress MP Tharoor's clarification comes after his op-ed in The Hindu, published on Monday, triggered political murmurs within the Congress party. In the piece, he lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "energy, dynamism and willingness to engage," calling the BJP leader a "prime asset" for India on the global stage that deserved "greater backing."

The article by Tharoor, centred on India's multi-nation diplomatic effort following the Pahalgam ...