'She takes better selfies': Tharoor praises Neha Bora's courage after INDIA bloc march

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday praised student activist Neha Bora for her courage and commitment to democratic principles, sharing a selfie with the All India Students' Association (AISA) national president following their meeting during the INDIA bloc's March for Democracy in the national capital.

In a social media post, the Thiruvananthapuram MP expressed admiration for Bora's convictions and added a light-hearted compliment about her photography skills. The two had met during Monday's Opposition march towards the Supreme Court, organised to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Tharoor wrote that he had enjoyed meeting Bora at the demonstration, praised her courage and joked that she took better selfies than most people. His remarks drew attention to the 29-year-old activist, who has emerged as a prominent figure in recent demonstrations over alleged electoral irregularities and restrictions on public protests.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲

Bora, a PhD scholar and national president of AISA, has attracted attention for her participation in demonstrations against the Election Commission and the handling of protests in Delhi. She was among the activists detained by police during the weekend's demonstrations, which were organised amid allegations of large-scale voter deletions and irregularities in the electoral process.

During Monday's INDIA bloc march, Bora walked alongside Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. She also travelled on the same bus as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, reflecting her participation in the wider Opposition mobilisation.

Speaking separately about the demonstration, Tharoor described Bora as one of the prominent faces of the recent protests and commended her determination. He said her participation demonstrated that the various groups opposing alleged electoral irregularities were not necessarily competing with one another but were pursuing shared democratic objectives.

The Congress leader maintained that the participation of student organisations and independent activists had strengthened the protest movement, bringing together political parties and civil society representatives.

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗺

Bora's growing prominence follows years of involvement in student politics and social movements. She has previously spoken about how her interest in activism developed through theatre before deepening during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in 2019 and 2020.

Her visibility increased during the recent demonstrations against the Chief Election Commissioner, particularly after police prevented protesters from gathering at Jantar Mantar on Saturday.

Following the restrictions, Bora urged demonstrators to regroup at Dilli Haat, approximately 10 kilometres away, declaring that the alternative venue would become the centre of the protest for the day.

She was subsequently detained along with several other activists. However, she continued to encourage supporters through a video circulated on social media, maintaining that the protest movement would continue despite her detention. She was released later that day.

Her participation in successive demonstrations has made her a recognisable face of the student-led campaign, which has also received support from Opposition parties and other civil society groups.

𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀

Monday's INDIA bloc demonstration brought together senior Opposition leaders, student activists and supporters who marched towards the Supreme Court to raise concerns about the electoral process and the SIR exercise.

The protesters alleged that irregularities in voter-list revisions could affect the democratic rights of citizens and demanded greater accountability from the Election Commission.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led the procession, which was also attended by representatives of several INDIA bloc parties and civil society organisations.

The Opposition had initially planned to submit a memorandum to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. However, the Chief Justice declined to meet the delegation and advised the leaders to place their grievances before the court through a formal petition. Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc representatives subsequently submitted their plea.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁

In an unusual acknowledgement, Tharoor also praised the Centre and Delhi Police for allowing Monday's demonstration to proceed largely without interference, contrasting their response with the heavy police action witnessed during the preceding weekend.

He said the authorities had shown maturity in permitting the march despite a substantial police presence and security barricades. According to him, the restraint demonstrated that peaceful demonstrations could be accommodated without resorting to widespread detentions or restrictions.

The Congress leader also rejected suggestions of rivalry between the INDIA bloc and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), whose supporters had participated in the earlier demonstrations. He cited Bora's presence at both protests as evidence that different political and civic groups could cooperate on issues concerning democratic rights.

Tharoor's public appreciation of Bora has highlighted the increasing visibility of younger activists in the Opposition's campaign over electoral accountability, with student leaders playing a prominent role alongside established political figures.