Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has strongly defended India’s Operation Sindoor, calling it a symbolically powerful and emotionally resonant military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 Indians—many of them women.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington D.C., Tharoor explained the significance behind the name:
“Sindoor is a vermilion mark worn by married Hindu women. These brutal terrorists wiped that symbol off the foreheads of 26 Indian women. So we wanted to avenge that act of wiping off the sindoor.”
He further used striking language to drive home the symbolism:
“There is a Hindi expression, ‘khoon ka badla khoon’ — blood for blood. Here it was ‘sindoor ka badla khoon’ — blood for sindoor.”
This pointed justification was part of India’s ongoing diplomatic outreach, where an all-party parliamentary delegation is visiting key global capitals to highlight India’s position on terrorism and counter cross-border narratives.
Tharoor confirmed that:
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The operation dealt a severe blow to Pakistan’s military infrastructure, including strikes on 11 airfields.
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The impact stretched from Hyderabad (Sindh) to Peshawar, indicating the range and precision of India’s response.
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Satellite imagery shows craters on runways and destroyed command centres, bolstering claims of the operation’s effectiveness.
Importantly, Tharoor emphasized that India’s military action was strategic and targeted, suggesting a balance of restraint and resolve — not escalation for its own sake.
Earlier, the US-India Caucus in Washington — co-chaired by Ro Khanna (Democrat) and Rich McCormick (Republican) — was briefed by the Indian delegation on:
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The scale and nature of India’s cross-border terror threats, and
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India’s evolving counter-terrorism doctrine, especially in the wake of increasingly sophisticated, proxy-backed attacks.
Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, was India’s answer to the Pahalgam attack, which was widely believed to have been orchestrated with Pakistani support. The operation has since become a focal point of both military strategy and diplomatic messaging.
Tharoor’s remarks, coming from an opposition MP and seasoned diplomat, may carry additional weight internationally, signaling a rare moment of political consensus in India on matters of national security.
