Shashi Tharoor in US : India Hit Pakistan ‘Hard and Smart’ with Precision Strikes
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor lauded India’s recent strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, calling them “hard and smart” actions that showcased the country’s precision military capabilities. The remarks came during a diplomatic outreach under Operation Sindoor at the Indian Consulate in New York.
Tharoor, who is leading a multi-party parliamentary delegation to five countries, said that India had run out of patience and had rightfully taken calibrated military action. The May 7 operation, he revealed, targeted nine known terrorist bases and launchpads across the border.
“I don’t work for the government, as you know. I work for an opposition party. But I myself wrote an op-ed saying it was time to hit hard but hit smart. I’m pleased to say that’s exactly what India did,” said Tharoor.
He emphasized that the Indian response was a strategic shift after years of diplomatic efforts failed to dismantle cross-border terror infrastructure.
“We have tried everything — dossiers, complaints, international engagement — but Pakistan continued to deny reality,” Tharoor noted. “There have been no convictions, no genuine crackdown on terrorism. The persistence of safe havens has forced this response.”
He said India had “set a new bottom line” and would no longer tolerate such provocations.
Clarifying India’s position, Tharoor stressed that New Delhi does not seek war but is prepared to act when provoked.
“We are not interested in warfare,” he said. “We would much rather focus on building our economy and uplifting our people. But if terror is exported to our borders, we will respond with precision and strength.”
Tharoor said India remains a status quo power, but Pakistan, by continuing to pursue territorial ambitions through terrorism, pushes the region into volatility.
The parliamentary delegation, under Operation Sindoor, also includes BJP MPs Tejasvi Surya, Bhubaneswar Kalita, and Shashank Mani Tripathi; LJP (Ram Vilas)’s Shambhavi Choudhary; TDP’s GM Harish Balayogi; Shiv Sena’s Milind Deora; JMM’s Sarfaraz Ahmad; and former Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
The delegation’s visit includes stops in the United States, Panama, Guyana, Brazil, and Colombia.
Operation Sindoor is a diplomatic outreach program launched by India post the May 7 precision strikes that targeted terror infrastructure across the Line of Control. These strikes came amid rising concerns over cross-border terrorism and intelligence reports of planned infiltrations.
