Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who led an all-party delegation on India's diplomatic outreach against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, has described the mission as a "real, real success", aserting that they were well able put their message across about the Pahalgam terror attack and the Operation Sindoor.
Speaking to ANI at the conclusion of the visit in Washington, Tharoor said the delegation was able to effectively communicate India's position on recent events, including the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, while also reaffirming ties with key international partners.
Reflecting on the visit, Tharoor noted that the group held meaningful engagements across several countries, facilitated by the Indian embassies.
'Good conversations everyhwere'
"We had good conversations everywhere, pretty much in every country," he said, crediting the diplomatic missions for arranging high-level meetings.
"One, I believe we got our message across about what happened in Pahalgam and about Operation Sindoor and why it was necessary. Secondly, we used the opportunity to reaffirm the importance of relations with India with each of these countries," he said.
These included interactions with senior government officials, top legislators, policy think tanks, prominent media outlets, and where appropriate, members of the Indian diaspora.
Terrorism and India's response was at core of talks
The core aim of the delegation, according to Tharoor, was two-fold. First, to explain the circumstances surrounding the Pahalgam incident and the rationale behind Operation Sindoor.
Second, to use the opportunity to reinforce the importance of bilateral relations with each of the countries visited.
"Terrorism and our response to it were central themes in every conversation," he added, underlining the unified stance the delegation projected.
Tharoor also highlighted that the Indian narrative was met with "a tremendous amount of support and sympathy, some expressed publicly, and some conveyed in private discussions.
Describing the visit as "intense but productive," Tharoor expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the mission. “We acquitted ourselves rather well,” he said, noting that the efforts helped strengthen international understanding of India’s security challenges and policy choices.
The visit, part of a broader diplomatic initiative, marks a rare moment of cross-party consensus in India's foreign policy outreach, with leaders from various political parties representing the country’s unified stance on key international issues.
