Shashi Tharoor Says 'I Don't Work For Govt', Backs Operation Sindoor As India's Response To Pahalgam Attack

Speaking at the Indian Consulate in New York on Saturday, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor discussed India's restrained yet firm response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and underlined the country's unity in confronting Pakistan's state-sponsored terrorism.

Tharoor is currently visiting the United States, heading an all-party delegation as part of India's diplomatic outreach following Operation Sindoor and the ensuing military conflict with Pakistan.

Photo Credit: PTI

The delegation comprises JMM MP Sarfaraz Ahmad, BJP MPs Tejasvi Surya and Bhubaneswar Kalita, and TDP MP Ganti Harish Madhur.

Reflecting on India's reaction to the tragic Pahalgam terror attack of 22 April-which claimed 26 lives, most of whom were tourists-Tharoor emphasised that even from his position in the Opposition, he supported a strong and strategic response from the government.

"I don't work for the government, as you know. I work for an opposition party, but I myself authored an op-ed in one of India's leading papers, within a couple of days, saying that the time had come to hit hard and hit smart, and I'm pleased to say that's exactly what India did," Tharoor stated.

He further remarked that while the perpetrators intended to sow division through the attack, the result was quite the opposite, with Indians standing together across religious and social lines.

"There was an extraordinary amount of togetherness cutting across religious and other divides that people have tried to provoke. The message is very clear that there was a malign intent... India, sadly, had no reason to doubt where it came from," he said.

On Operation Sindoor

India carried out Operation Sindoor in the early hours of 7 May, targeting nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack. Tharoor highlighted the precision of the strikes, aimed at specific and well-known terror hubs.

He noted that the targets included facilities of Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke and Jaish-e-Mohammad in Bahawalpur-organisations previously linked to high-profile attacks, including the murder of journalist Daniel Pearl.

"India sent a clear message that it was not going to take terror lying down, it would answer, but equally that by delivering very precisely, calculated, calibrated strikes on very specific targets, it was also sending a message that this was not meant to be the opening salvo in a protracted war but just an act of retribution, that we were prepared to stop with that act," Tharoor explained.