Operation Sindoor: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is currently in the United States heading the anti-terrorism global outreach programme, emphasised India’s calibrated response to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Speaking at the Indian Consulate in New York, Tharoor highlighted that India did not react with blind fury but rather launched precise and targeted strikes on terror bases located in Pakistan. “We hit hard but hit smart,” Tharoor said, referring to Operation Sindoor, which targeted nine specific terrorist launchpads and headquarters.
‘Terror has safe havens — and we know where’: Tharoor
Tharoor made it clear that the Indian government and opposition stand united on the need to eliminate safe havens for terrorists. “Perpetrators of terror must be brought to justice. We are not going to stop our hunt for those who did this latest atrocity (Pahalgam terror attack). We need to think about where these people are trained, guided, and financed,” he stated, pointing the finger at Pakistan’s persistent denial of hosting terror networks.
He recalled the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Pakistani officials to join the investigation—an offer that was met with denial and deflection. “Imagine the horror of the Indian military establishment with this idea that Pakistani investigators would come to Indian airbase, but, but they came and they went back to Pakistan and said, all the Indians did it to themselves.That was the last opportunity for them to behave,” Tharoor said bluntly.
‘No more denial, no more dossiers’: Tharoor warns Pakistan
Shashi Tharoor asserted that India has exhausted all diplomatic options, and with Pakistan’s continued denial and inaction, Operation Sindoor proves India’s resolve to respond precisely to terrorism.
“We are determined now that there’s got to be a new bottom line to this. We have tried everything, international dossier, complaints…everything has been tried. Pakistan has remained in denial, there has been absolutely no conviction, no serious criminal prosecution, no attempt to dismantle the terror infrastructure in that country, and the persistence of safe havens…you (Pakistan) do this, you are going to get this back and we have demonstrated with this Operation (Operation Sindoor) that we can do it with a degree of precision,” he added.
Pahalgam attack meant to disturb peace and prosperity in J-K
Addressing the horrific nature of the Pahalgam terror attack, Tharoor noted the killers identified victims by religion before executing them.
“Some people decided that they would want to attack that process of normalisation (in J&K), secondly to undermine the narrative, as well as the prosperity of the people of Kashmir. Third, by doing so in an atrocious manner, that is, it was not just a terrorist attack of somebody incriminating on people with a bomb. It was a bunch of people going around identifying the religions of the people before them and killing them on that basis. It was clearly intended to provoke a backlash in the rest of the country, since the victims were overwhelmingly Hindu,” he said, describing the incident as an attempt to undermine peace and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir.
He added that The Resistance Front, which claimed responsibility, is a known front for the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba, already listed by the UN and the US.
“The message was very clear that there was a malign intent… India, sadly, had no reason to doubt where it came from,” he added.
India’s global outreach against terrorism
Tharoor emphasised the importance of international unity in fighting terrorism. After paying tribute at the 9/11 Memorial, he reminded the audience that the attack was a global wound, much like what India faces.
“We are travelling to 5 countries, we will be back in the US at the end of our journey. We are hoping to be able to explain to the world how important it is for all of us to stand together against this scourge of terrorism. We want to communicate to the world that we won’t be sitting quietly if this is repeated and we want the world to understand that this is not a time for indifference but for mutual strength and mutual solidarity,” he said, pointing out that Indian citizens were also among the victims of 9/11. Tharoor and his all-party delegation are on a multi-country tour to raise awareness and urge nations to take a firmer stance against terrorism.
The Congress MP stressed that their global tour aims to speak to a wide range of stakeholders—from government officials and lawmakers to think tanks and the public—about the growing threat of terrorism. He acknowledged the current calm on the India-Pakistan border but warned that the root causes have not been addressed. “This is not a time for indifference but for mutual strength and solidarity,” he concluded.