Image Source: theweek.in
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday praised Operation Sindoor, India’s military strike targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He said the operation sent a strong signal that “we will not sit quietly if terror is unleashed on us.”
Tharoor also supported India’s decision to accept a ceasefire with Pakistan in May, following days of military confrontations. He stressed that it was India’s successful military actions, and not external mediation, that prompted Pakistan to request a truce.
During the launch of his book Whither India-Pakistan Relations Today? Can They Ever Be Good Neighbours?, Tharoor said,
"The successful strikes on the night of 9-10 May and the ability of India to intercept the attempted Pakistani response, when they sent missiles to Delhi on the morning of 10th May, is what contributed undoubtedly, and not Mr Trump, to the call by the Pakistani DGMO to his Indian counterpart asking for peace."
India and Pakistan declared a ceasefire on May 10, shortly after India carried out Operation Sindoor. The truce followed a call from Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) to his Indian counterpart, seeking peace.
Despite this, US President Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that it was due to his mediation that India and Pakistan agreed to the ceasefire and that he prevented a “nuclear war.” These assertions have been consistently rejected by New Delhi, which maintains that the ceasefire was reached bilaterally between India and Pakistan.
The Congress party has often challenged the government over Trump’s statements. Most recently, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, raised the issue in Parliament, demanding clarity on the US President’s claims. He challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to openly confront Trump’s statements, saying,
"If he has the courage, he will say here that Donald Trump is a liar. 50% Indira Gandhi ka courage hai toh ye bol dega,"
and later corrected himself humorously, adding, "bol denge, sorry."
Tharoor’s remarks reinforce the Congress stance that India’s military preparedness and swift action, rather than foreign intervention, were decisive in achieving the ceasefire with Pakistan.
