Shashi Tharoor faced strong criticism from within the Congress party for his remark stating that India crossed the Line of Control (LoC) to conduct surgical strikes “for the first time” under the Modi government.
In a pointed response to criticism from within his own party for backing the Centre on cross-border strikes, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor hit back at “critics and trolls,” accusing them of deliberately misrepresenting his statements. Tharoor added that he had “better things to do” than engage with such distortions.
Shashi Tharoor, currently heading a multi-party delegation as part of the Centre’s global outreach initiative on terrorism, faced sharp criticism from his own party, the Congress, over his remark that India crossed the Line of Control (LoC) to conduct surgical strikes “for the first time” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in 2016.
Shashi Tharoor slams ‘zealots’
In a post on X, Tharoor wrote, “After a long and successful day in Panama, i have to wind up at midnight where with departure for Bogota, Colombia in six hours, so I don’t really have time for this — but anyway: For those zealots fulminating about my supposed ignorance of Indian valour across the LoC: in the past.”
“1. I was clearly and explicitly speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars; & 2. My remarks were preceded by a reference to the several attacks that have taken place in recent years alone, during which previous Indian responses were both restrained and constrained by our responsible respect for the LoC and the IB. But as usual, critics and trolls are welcome to distort my views and words as they see fit. I genuinely have better things to do. Goodnight, he added.
Shashi Tharoor’s ‘surgical strike’ remark
Earlier this week, referring to the September 2016 surgical strike post-Uri attack and the February 2019 Balakot airstrikes after Pulwama, Tharoor said, “For the first time, India breached the Line of Control to strike a terror base. Later, we went beyond even the international border, hitting terror headquarters deep inside Pakistan. This was unprecedented.”
He also referenced Operation Sindoor, carried out on May 7 in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. “These terrorists wiped the sindoor off the foreheads of 26 women… Our Prime Minister made it clear that the vermilion colour would match the blood of the killers,” he said.
Tharoor’s remarks, which appeared to endorse the government’s recent military operations and posture against Pakistan-based terror, drew criticism from the Congress.
Tharoor, who is leading the all-party delegation to the United States, Guyana, Panama and other nations, was not among the official choices suggested by the Congress to the government for the outreach delegations.
Also Read: Tharoor in Panama: ‘Land of Mahatma Gandhi will not turn other cheek, will respond to terrorism’
Also Read: Operation Sindoor has exposed Pakistan: PM Modi in virtual address
