Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, currently leading a parliamentary outreach delegation under Operation Sindoor, praised India’s recent strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), calling them “hard and smart” responses.
Speaking at an interaction at the Indian Consulate in New York, Tharoor emphasized that although he belongs to the opposition, he supported India's decisive military action.
“I don't work for the government... I myself authored an op-ed saying the time has come to hit hard but hit smart. I'm pleased to say that's exactly what India did.”
He revealed that on May 7, India launched “precise and calibrated strikes” targeting nine known terrorist bases, headquarters, and launchpads across the border. The operation, according to him, signified a “new bottom line” in India’s policy toward Pakistan, stressing that previous diplomatic approaches like dossiers and appeals had failed to produce results.
“Pakistan has remained in denial,” Tharoor said. “No convictions, no serious criminal prosecutions, and no genuine attempt to dismantle its terror infrastructure.”
Referring to Operation Sindoor, he highlighted India's ability to now conduct strikes with a high degree of precision while avoiding full-scale warfare.
“We are not interested in warfare,” he added. “We would much rather be left alone to grow our economy and pull our people into the 21st century.”
Tharoor also underlined the contrast between the two nations:
“India is a status quo power. Pakistan is not. It still covets our territory and is willing to use terrorism when conventional means fail.”
The Operation Sindoor delegation aims to promote India’s global outreach and bipartisan diplomacy. The group includes MPs from multiple parties:
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BJP: Tejasvi Surya, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Shashank Mani Tripathi
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Congress: Shashi Tharoor
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LJP (Ram Vilas): Shambhavi Choudhary
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TDP: GM Harish Balayogi
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Shiv Sena: Milind Deora
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JMM: Sarfaraz Ahmad
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Former Ambassador: Taranjit Singh Sandhu
The delegation is scheduled to visit five countries: the United States, Panama, Guyana, Brazil, and Colombia, with the goal of enhancing India's diplomatic presence and connecting with the Indian diaspora.
