At a New York event, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor underscores India’s measured strikes post-Pahalgam attack and calls for global unity against terrorism.
New York City [US], May 25: Speaking at the Indian Consulate in New York, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor delivered a powerful message about India’s unwavering stand against terrorism, describing the country’s calibrated and precise response to the recent Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 lives.
Tharoor, who is leading a multi-party parliamentary delegation, praised the Indian government’s swift and strategic response. “I don’t work for the government, but I had said in an op-ed that the time had come to hit hard and hit smart. I’m pleased to say that’s exactly what India did,” he said. “India carried out precise and calculated strikes on nine specific known terrorist bases, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad strongholds, sending a clear message that terror will not be tolerated.”
The delegation’s first stop was the 9/11 Memorial. Tharoor said this was not only a moving moment but also a statement of solidarity. “We are here in a city still bearing the scars of a savage terrorist attack, just as we in India are reeling from another. Terrorism is a shared problem, and we must fight it unitedly,” he added.
Describing the Pahalgam attack as a deliberate attempt to create religious discord in India, Tharoor said, “It was an atrocity aimed at provoking backlash by singling out people for their faith, but India’s response was one of unity and determination.”
He also revealed that within an hour of the attack, the Resistance Front claimed responsibility—a group India had already warned the UN about. “Unfortunately, Pakistan followed its usual path of denial, with help from China even removing references to the TRF from UN statements,” he noted.
The delegation, which includes MPs from multiple parties and former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, aims to project India’s firm zero-tolerance policy on terrorism. BJP MP Tejaswi Surya, Shambhavi Chaudhary of LJP, Sarfaraz Ahmed of JMM, and Shiv Sena’s Mallikarjun Devda are among those part of the outreach.
Tharoor concluded, “We are here to explain India’s perspective and to engage with decision-makers, thought leaders, and the public. Our message is simple: India will never bow to terror. And we stand for global cooperation to defeat it.”