Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has embarked on a significant diplomatic mission, leading an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation to five countries—the United States, Panama, Guyana, Brazil, and Colombia—as part of Operation Sindoor’s global outreach. Speaking at Delhi airport before his early Saturday departure, Tharoor emphasized the core message of the visit: India will not be silenced by terrorism.
“We need to speak up for our country, for our response, and to give the world the message that we will not be silenced by terrorism,” Tharoor stated. He called the effort a “mission of peace and hope,” underlining India’s intent to engage the international community and counter global indifference towards terrorism with truth and solidarity.
The multi-party delegation aims to project unity on national security, despite internal political disagreements. Tharoor confirmed that all members are “speaking with one voice” after a government briefing ensured all participants were aligned on messaging. “Everyone understands the situation. We are heading in that spirit,” he said.
The delegation includes members from across the political spectrum:
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BJP: Tejasvi Surya, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Shashank Mani Tripathi
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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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Diplomatic representation: Former Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu
Their first symbolic stop is in New York, where the group will visit the 9/11 Memorial, drawing a powerful parallel between the victims of global terrorism and India’s own experiences. Tharoor highlighted that this visit is meant to “remind the world that we, like the people they are thinking about there, were victims of terror attacks too.”
The delegation will later travel to Georgetown, Guyana, to take part in Independence Day ceremonies and hold meetings with Guyanese officials, continuing India’s outreach and engagement in Latin America.
In a rare and widely noticed moment of unity, Tharoor and BJP MP Tejasvi Surya were seen holding hands and smiling at the airport before boarding their flight—a gesture that stood out amid political tensions. It came despite internal Congress dissent over Tharoor's appointment as the delegation leader.
Congress party sources, particularly Jairam Ramesh, expressed displeasure at the government’s unilateral decision to name Tharoor without consulting the party. The Congress had reportedly suggested four other names—Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Raja Brar—after being contacted by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, but Tharoor's name appeared unexpectedly in an official government press release.
Despite the controversy, Tharoor’s leadership of this mission and the cross-party composition underline India's strategic push to build international consensus on its fight against terrorism, and to portray unity and resolve in the global arena through Operation Sindoor.
