Shashi Tharoor Flags Policy Shift as India’s Anti-Terror Diplomacy Reaches New York

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation to the United States, stated in New York City on Saturday that Operation Sindoor represents a “new normal” in India's strategic approach to countering terrorism. The delegation is in the U.S. as part of India’s broader international outreach to highlight the country’s zero-tolerance policy following the Pahalgam terror attack.

Image Source: MEA/FM on X

“No one sitting in Pakistan can assume they can harm Indian civilians and walk away without consequences. There will be a price—and that price has been going up systematically,” Tharoor said at a briefing in New York, near the site of the World Trade Centre attacks. The delegation is also scheduled to visit the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan, a powerful symbol of global resolve against terror.

I don't work for the govt but for the opposition party.
I myself authored an op-ed saying the time has come to hit hard but hit smart. I'm pleased to say that's exactly what India did. Indian strikes took place on terrorist bases launchpads etc - @ShashiTharoor in USA 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/FIU5nKDrxI
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) May 25, 2025

Tharoor said that while India had communicated to Pakistan to halt hostilities, the initial response from across the border was indiscriminate shelling. “This shelling resulted in the deaths of 19 civilians, including Carmelite nuns and Sikh worshippers at a Gurudwara,” he noted. “We used back-channel military communication to make clear our targets had been terrorists only—not civilians, not military installations.”

Watch Shashi Tharoor explain how Dr. Manmohan Singh’s government held Pakistan accountable on the global stage after the 26/11 attacks.

This was a key step in exposing Pakistan’s role in terrorism and isolating it internationally.

Yet another BJP narrative debunked — share… pic.twitter.com/snUabhyAec
— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) May 25, 2025

India responded with targeted retaliatory strikes, hitting 11 Pakistani military installations, including an airbase located just 1.5 kilometers from Pakistan’s military headquarters in Rawalpindi. “This was not escalation, it was communication,” said Tharoor, reaffirming India’s calibrated response framework under Operation Sindoor.

My opening remarks at the Indian Consulate in New York last night to an audience of Americans interested in India, including some prominent Indian-Americans: https://t.co/RHWicYGKnz

A lively discussion ensued behind closed doors for the next hour and a half. We are now on our…
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 25, 2025

After the strikes, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations reached out via hotline to request cessation of offensives. “We were clear—we didn’t start this. But if you stop, we’ll stop. And they did,” said Tharoor, describing the event as an 88-hour confrontation that ended with restraint and strategic clarity.

#WATCH | New York, US: After paying tribute at 9/11 Memorial, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, " We are travelling to 5 countries, we will be back in US at the end of our journey...we are hoping to be able to explain to the world how importance it is for all of us to stand… pic.twitter.com/pCu3vvhwiW
— ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2025

The Indian delegation includes lawmakers from across party lines, including Tejasvi Surya, Shambhavi Chaudhary, Sarfaraz Ahmed, G M Harish Balayagi, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar K Lata, Mallikarjun Devda, and former Indian Ambassador to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu. They were welcomed by Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra at the Indian Consulate in New York.

From Washington D.C.—home to the White House—to United Nations Headquarters in New York, India’s Operation Sindoor aims to build diplomatic alignment on global counterterrorism standards. The delegation's engagements in the U.S. follow parallel missions to Germany, South Korea, Africa, and Brazil.

"2015 was the last opportunity for Pak to behave, to cooperate, to really show they were serious about ending terror"

Shashi Tharoor isn't mincing words 🗿 pic.twitter.com/IljxDint6b
— BALA (@erbmjha) May 25, 2025

The Indian Consulate in New York posted on X: “Carrying forth to the world India’s strong message of zero-tolerance against terrorism! All-Party Delegation, led by Dr. Shashi Tharoor welcomed by Amb. Vinay Mohan Kwatra in New York.”

“We’ve tried everything...dossiers, diplomacy, dialogue—Pakistan stays in denial. No justice, no action. SO THIS IS IT. With Op Sindoor, India has drawn new red line: You strike us, we’ll strike back. I'm here to tell YOU this"@ShashiTharoor in NYC🔥

Is Trump listening? Keep… pic.twitter.com/WCQ8uJDRlA
— BhikuMhatre (@MumbaichaDon) May 25, 2025

As part of the U.S. visit, discussions may also touch on the changing global security landscape and recent political shifts in the U.S., with former President Donald Trump expected to influence foreign policy debates during the 2024 election cycle. However, India’s message remains consistent across all forums: terrorism cannot be tolerated, excused, or normalized—whether at the World Trade Centre or along the Line of Control.

The delegation will continue on to Guyana, Panama, Colombia, and Brazil, engaging leaders, lawmakers, and diaspora communities in each country to consolidate support for a unified global response to terrorism.

📚 Suggested Readings on India's Anti-Terror Diplomatic Outreach from IndianRepublic.in