(Image source from: x.com/ShashiTharoor)
Terrorist groups aiming at India have come to understand in recent years that there will be repercussions, stated Congress leader Shashi Tharoor during an event in Panama City today. He is leading an Indian delegation that has arrived in the Latin American country as part of India's extensive diplomatic initiative following Operation Sindoor. "For nearly four decades, we have experienced attack after attack. It is unacceptable for us to keep enduring the pain, sorrow, injuries, and losses while simply informing the global community about our suffering. We implore them for help and urge them to apply pressure on those responsible so that they may be identified and brought to justice," he expressed.
Referring to the 2008 Mumbai attacks, he noted, "We possessed ample evidence. We even managed to capture one of the assailants alive. A courageous police officer sacrificed his life to apprehend Ajmal Kasab. His identity, as well as his home and village in Pakistan, were clearly identified.
"Not only did India have this information, but Western intelligence agencies also had recordings of the cold-blooded Pakistani handler instructing the assailants minute by minute during the attacks in Mumbai. While the violence unfolded, the evidence was compiled, and dossiers were created. Yet, what happened afterward? Has anyone involved in this egregious act faced prosecution, let alone conviction? The response is negative. Regrettably, Pakistan has opted for a strategy that supports terrorism," he commented.
In comments that might be viewed as complimentary towards the Narendra Modi administration, Mr. Tharoor remarked, "What has shifted in recent years is that the terrorists have also recognized that there will be consequences for their actions. There should be no doubt about this. For the first time, India violated the Line of Control between India and Pakistan to execute a surgical strike on a terrorist base—the Uri strike in September 2015. This was unprecedented for us.
"Even during the Kargil War, we refrained from crossing the Line of Control; however, in Uri, we did just that. Following the Pulwama attack in January 2019, we not only crossed the Line of Control but also the international border to target the terrorist headquarters in Balakot. This time, we exceeded those limits. We didn't merely breach the Line of Control and the international border; we struck at the core of Punjab in Pakistan by targeting nine sites, including terror bases, training centers, and headquarters," he mentioned. India conducted airstrikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam attack that resulted in the deaths of 26 innocent individuals.
The Prime Minister has expressed a strong stance on the matter. He stated that Operation Sindoor was imperative, citing the heinous act wherein terrorists erased the sindoor from the foreheads of 26 women, leaving them without their husbands. Some of these women reportedly begged the attackers, pleading, "take my life too." However, the terrorists responded, instructing them to return and recount what had transpired. This led to a collective realization in India that the vermilion adorning the foreheads of our women should symbolize the blood of the assailants who caused such suffering, he asserted.
Mr. Tharoor's comments in various interviews throughout the conflict between India and Pakistan have elicited strong backlash from Congress leaders, who have sought to distance themselves from the statements made by the four-time MP. His appointment to represent one of India's seven delegations to communicate New Delhi's stance internationally also ignited controversy. The Congress leaders clarified that he was not among the four MPs they had recommended to the government. Mr. Tharoor responded by acknowledging that party leaders are entitled to their perspective on his capabilities. The recent comments from the Congress leader have provoked a harsh reaction from his fellow party member Udit Raj.
Udit Raj criticized Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, labeling him as a fervent spokesperson for the BJP and suggesting that he flatters Prime Minister Modi more than BJP officials do. He questioned whether Tharoor is aware of the actions taken by previous administrations. According to Raj, the Central government is usurping credit for the Indian Armed Forces, and he accused Tharoor of acting as a mouthpiece for the BJP's publicity efforts, as reported by ANI. Udit Raj, a former MP, had previously been associated with the BJP.
