Pratiksha Ghosh
Panama City, May 28:Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading another arm of the all-party Operation Sindoor delegation, firmly declared that those who were involved in acts of terror would face serious consequences. Speaking in Panama. Tharoor underlined that despite political differences, Indian leaders stand united on national security.
“India did not rush into retaliation. We waited to see if Pakistan would act against the perpetrators of the April 22 attack in Pahalgam. When it didn’t, we launched a precise strike against known terror bases on May 7,” Tharoor said while addressing Panamanian parliamentarians and the Indian diaspora.
He reiterated that the Indian strike was not a declaration of war, but a necessary action to hold terrorist elements accountable.
“We don’t seek conflict, but terrorism cannot be allowed to go unanswered,” he highlighted .
Calling for an international support, Tharoor also urged Panama and other countries to increase diplomatic pressure on those sheltering or supporting terrorism.
“India cannot keep suffering loss after loss while the global community looks on. We seek your understanding and your voice,” he stated during a session at the Indian Embassy.
The Congress MP also reminded the public of the long history of terror India has faced, dating back to the late 1980s.
“For nearly four decades, our people have endured attack after attack — this is not new for us, but our resolve has only strengthened.”
On Kashmir, Tharoor also made it clear that India’s position remains firm. “Terror groups, backed by Pakistan, want territory that does not belong to them. Kashmir is an integral part of India, and we will not surrender even an inch of it.”
Highlighting India’s history of restraint, he pointed out that even during the Kargil conflict, India refrained from crossing the Line of Control (LoC). “But that restraint changed in recent years — we struck terror camps across LoC after Uri, and again after Pulwama in 2019. With Operation Sindoor, we went even further — beyond LoC and the international border — hitting terror hubs deep in Pakistan's Punjab heartland,” Tharoor added.
Panama’s National Assembly President Dana Castaneda expressed his support for India’s mission, stating that Panama stands with India in the global fight against terrorism.
“We understand the importance of what the Indian delegation has conveyed. We share your goal of defeating terrorism and ensuring peace,” she said.
Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, targeted nine key terrorist infrastructures tied to outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen, and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Indian authorities have termed it a “measured and non-escalatory” operation, launched in response to the April 22 attack in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
Tharoor’s delegation includes MPs from different political backgrounds, like Tejasvi Surya (BJP), Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), Shashank Mani Tripathi (BJP), Sarfaraz Ahmad (JMM), and senior diplomat Taranjit Sandhu, for India’s collective resolve to counter terrorism on the global stage.
