India, June 21 -- The Congress on Saturday slammed party member Shashi Tharoor over his "admiration" for Narendra Modi, saying it appears to have transcended the physical world as he now seems capable of hearing what the prime minister never even said.

Tharoor, the party's Thiruvananthapuram MP, however, said he found it extraordinary that a statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors was given a partisan twist.

The row was sparked by Tharoor's reported remarks that "PM Modi made his point clear both in the public and private meetings with the president."

He reportedly said, "It is important to convey the message that in wartime, civilian sailors on commercial ships should not be targets of combat. They are not soldiers, and tha...