With senior Indian politician and parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor set to be conferred with France's highest civilian award Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, a host of leaders from his party, the Indian National Congress, congratulated him on the prestigious honour.
The French government is honouring Tharoor, a former diplomat at the United Nations, for his writings and speeches. French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain has written to Tharoor informing him about the award.
"As one who cherishes our relations with France, loves the language and admires the culture, I am honoured to be recognized in this way. My gratitude & appreciation to those who have seen fit to award me this distinction," Tharoor said in response to a tweet congratulating him on the award.
Several Congress leaders as well as the Congress's Kerala unit and the state's Youth Congress unit congratulated the parliamentarian from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the southern state.
Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said in a tweet that he was in a state of "absolute euphoria" while coming to know that Tharoor is being conferred upon the highest civilian honour of France for his "extraordinary erudition and penetrative knowledge".
Responding to Chowdhury on Twitter, Tharoor said, "Thanks a lot @adhirinc. Recognition is always welcome, and your appreciation makes it all the more valuable."
Congress leaders T S Singhdeo, Pradyut Bordoloi, Mohammad Jawaid, Praveen Chakravarty, and Indian Union Muslim League M K Muneer also congratulated Tharoor.
The veteran leader thanked several of them who praised him for the honour.
Security personnel inspect the site in the aftermath of an attack as food stall chairs lie empty in Pahalgam, about 90 kilometres (55 miles) from Srinagar on April 23, 2025. Indian security forces in Kashmir carried out a major manhunt on April 23, a day after gunmen opened fire on tourists killing 26 people in the region's deadliest attack on civilians since 2000. Getty Images
Tourists visit Betaab Valley in Pahalgam, about 112 km south of Srinagar on June 26, 2025.Getty Images
Pilgrims gather at the Baltal Base Camp near Domel, en route to the sacred Amarnath cave in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India, on July 29, 2025. The annual Amarnath Yatra, which began on July 3, proceeds under heightened security following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 25 tourists and a local pony handler. Security forces have been deployed in large numbers across the pilgrimage route, with checkpoints, surveillance, and restrictions in place to safeguard the thousands of devotees undertaking the arduous journey. The Amarnath Yatra is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimages, drawing worshippers from across India to the high-altitude Himalayan shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. Despite the threat of violence and challenging terrain, pilgrims continue their spiritual trek, determined to complete the sacred journey under the shadow of grief and resilience.Getty Images