New Delhi/Bogotá: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, part of the all-party delegation visiting Colombia, voiced disappointment over the Colombian government’s response to India’s recent counterterrorism operation, Operation Sindoor. He criticised Bogotá for extending condolences over casualties in Pakistan following India’s May 7 airstrikes, instead of standing in solidarity with the victims of terrorism.
Speaking at a media briefing in Bogotá, Tharoor underscored that India’s actions were a legitimate exercise of self-defence following a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. “We were a little disappointed in the reaction of the Colombian government, which apparently expressed heartfelt condolences on the loss of lives in Pakistan after the Indian strikes, rather than sympathising with the victims of terrorism,” Tharoor said.
“There can be no equivalence between those who dispatch terrorists and those who resist them. There can be no equivalence between those who attack and those who defend,” he added.
Tharoor clarified that India’s military response targeted known terrorist infrastructure across the border and was aimed at preventing further violence. Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, targeted nine terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes came in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack on April 22, which had been claimed by The Resistance Front, a Lashkar-e-Taiba affiliate based in Muridke, Pakistan.
Tharoor, holding up photographs reportedly showing Pakistani military officials attending the funerals of slain terrorists, highlighted what he described as clear evidence of state complicity in terrorism. “There was a well-publicised funeral for one of the terrorists, who was on the sanctions list. Uniformed senior military and police personnel from Pakistan attended that funeral. That shows the extent of complicity between terror groups and the Pakistani establishment,” he stated.
The Indian Air Force, in response to subsequent failed Pakistani attempts to strike Indian military positions on May 8, 9, and 10, also destroyed 11 Pakistani airbases, according to officials.
“We are here to clarify any misunderstandings,” Tharoor said. “If there is confusion over the purpose and justification of our actions, we are more than willing to discuss it. But let there be no doubt—India acted within its rights to protect its people.”
The all-party delegation’s visit is part of the Indian government’s diplomatic outreach to ensure global understanding of its counterterrorism position and to highlight the continued threat posed by state-sponsored terrorism emanating from across the border.
