As part of its outreach through Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam attack, an all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation led by Congress Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor arrived in Washington, the US capital, for a two-day visit after a successful trip to Brazil. The delegation’s goal was to demonstrate India’s cohesive and strong stance against Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism.
On Tuesday night, the party was met at the airport by Vinay Mohan Kwatra, the Indian Ambassador to the United States.
Arriving late Tuesday night, the Indian delegation would meet with members of the US Congress, the Donald Trump administration, think tanks, the media, and policymakers till June 5 to update them on India’s zero tolerance strategy against terrorism and Operation Sindoor.
On Tuesday night, the Indian Embassy in the United States posted on social media site X: “A delegation of all parties, headed by Shashi Tharoor, has arrived in Washington, D.C. To update them on Operation Sindoor and India’s resolute anti-terrorism stance, the delegation will meet with members of the US Congress and administration, think tanks, the media, and policymakers over the course of the next two days.
The delegation consists of nine members, including Tharoor, Shambhavi Choudhary of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Sarfaraz Ahmad of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Harish Balayogi, the general manager of the Telugu Desam Party, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Tejasvi Surya, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora, and Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
The delegation’s visit to the US is the last in India’s international diplomatic outreach drive to promote Operation Sindoor and reaffirm its stance against Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism, following successful visits to Guyana, Panama, Colombia, and Brazil.
“Touchdown in Washington, DC. #OperationSindoor,” posted Milind Deora, a member of the delegation and a Shiv Sena MP, on X.
Fascinatingly, a Pakistani team headed by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will also be in the US at the same time as the Indian delegation. Nonetheless, Shashi Tharoor has stated that he is confident in spreading India’s anti-terrorism message.
Congress MP Tharoor’s delegation in Brazil on Monday stated that the next trip to the US will be an important chance to refute conflicting accounts and false information about Operation Sindoor.
His comments coincided with US President Donald Trump’s persistent allegations that his administration facilitated the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, which New Delhi vehemently disputes.
Indian officials claim that after the Pahalgam terror assault, Pakistan contacted India to ask that military action be stopped, not the other way around.
During the delegation’s last stop on its global outreach tour in Washington, Tharoor emphasized the significance of correcting the record.
“Washington is a particularly interesting case because it is a large country, a superpower with enormous influence in the world, and there are many crosscurrents of information, misinformation, and other narratives circulating,” Tharoor told IANS while in Brazil. We therefore have a great deal of work ahead of us there.”
The Congress MP also stated that a number of nations must realize that communication with those countries that support cross-border terrorism is impossible.
“We’re looking for solidarity in our struggle against terrorism,” Tharoor said, highlighting the significance of global solidarity against terrorism. In these nations, it is evident that while they have a basic understanding of some of these concerns, others do not. And in many nations, it’s instinctive to ask, “Why don’t we have a conversation?” However, communicating with those who are sending terrorists across your border and brandishing guns at your head is quite challenging. That turns into an issue.
He emphasized that any meaningful engagement must come after the infrastructure of terrorism has been dismantled.
“They should start by taking down the terrorists’ infrastructure. After that, we can see what type of conversation we can have. Arrest and prosecute murderers and murders instead of providing them with sanctuary. They haven’t been doing that in Pakistan, but we need a different narrative,” Tharoor stated.
“For us, in these countries, understanding our position and leaving with a sense of solidarity was important — and that we have done,” he stated.
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