'World now knows the truth': Shashi Tharoor-led delegation on Operation Sindoor wraps up US visit

Before the United, the Shashi Tharoor-led delegation visited Panama, Guyana, Colombia, and Brazil.

The all-party delegation on Operation Sindoor, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, wrapped up the last leg of its multi-nation tour in the United States after meeting Vice President JD Vance and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.

The Shashi Tharoor-led all-party delegation on Operation Sindoor was in the United States on the last leg of its tour. (PTI)

The delegation arrived in the US on June 3 for a three-day visit. It held meetings on Capitol Hill and in Washington and briefed American officials and leaders about India's Operation Sindoor and the nation's stance on cross-border terrorism.

Before the US, the Tharoor-led delegation visited Panama, Guyana, Colombia, and Brazil. The group includes Sarfaraz Ahmad (JMM), Tejasvi Surya (BJP), Gants Harish Madhur Balayogi (TDP), Shashank Mani Tripathi (BJP), Bhubaneswar Kalita (BJP), Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), and India's former Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Sandhu.

'India lovers of non-violence but only until…'

In a post on X late on Sunday, Shashi Tharoor wrote in Hindi, "If you are born a hundred times, you will do it a hundred times; I will love my country with all my heart; Whatever we could do, we did it "A Watan"; The whole world now knows the truth."

"On behalf of all the member, I express gratitude to the motherland and the lovers of India in the country and abroad who listened with open ears and accepted with open heart that we are lovers of non-violence but only until someone...Jai Hind!" he added.

The Tharoor-led group met Vice President Vance, Landau, House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) leadership, India Caucus leadership and Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders.

The meeting with Vance, which was held at the White House for about 25 minutes on Thursday, was described as an excellent meeting" by Shashi Tharoor. He said that Vance was "warm and welcoming and receptive".

“Vance expressed complete understanding, first of all, outrage of what happened in Pahalgam and support and respect for India’s restrained response in Operation Sindoor,” Tharoor told news agency PTI after the meeting.

Following the delegation's meeting with Landau on Friday, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement that the Deputy Secretary of State "reaffirmed the United States' strong support of India in the fight against terrorism and the strategic partnership between the two countries".

“We discussed the US-India strategic relationship, including expanding trade and commercial ties to foster growth and prosperity for both countries,” Landau said.

The Indian Embassy said in a statement that during the meeting with Landau, the Tharoor-led delegation explained to him India's stance against terrorism, with Operation Sindoor being launched in response to the brutal April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

On its last day of the scheduled meetings, the delegation also paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at this statue outside the Indian Embassy in Washington.

Afterwards, Tharoor posted on X, "It is striking how many world capitals are adorned with statues or busts of the Mahatma, the 20th century’s greatest apostle of peace, nonviolence, and human freedom."

India's global outreach

The Indian government launched the initiative of sending seven delegations, with members cutting across party lines, to travel to 32 countries and the EU headquarters in Brussels.

The goal of this global outreach program is to put forth India's resolve to tackle terrorism against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor.

Operation Sindoor

The Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 and carried out targeted strikes at nine terror infrastructures linked to outfits such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, etc., in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The operation was launched in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Baisaran near Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists.

During Operation Sindoor, more than 100 terrorists were killed.

Following Operation Sindoor, Pakistan attempted to launch a retaliatory military action, with cross-border shelling, unarmed aerial vehicles, and drones across J&K, and border regions.

However, most of these attacks were thwarted by the Indian armed forces and the nation's air defence system.

After four days of intense cross-border fighting, India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire understanding on May 10.