Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has come out in the open to praise the Modi government and the Indian army for Operation Sindoor, a daring and swift strike on terror camps in Pakistan and PoK. The operation was launched on Wednesday. Indian forces struck nine terror camps in 25 minutes. The attack followed the heinous Pahalgam terror attack of April 22 that killed 26 civilians.
Shashi Tharoor’s support was particularly noteworthy—providing a rare bipartisan support to a counter-terror operation and a flash of political solidarity in the war against terrorism in India.
Operation Sindoor: Forces in Full Sync
The Indian Army, Air Force, and Indian Navy operated in close tandem. The Air Force launched air-to-surface missiles. Ground-based systems were used by the Army. Naval intelligence monitored the movement of terrorists and identified targets. Collectively, they destroyed nine camps of Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
The camps were associated with the Pahalgam massacre. According to officials, more than 80 terrorists were killed. Crucially, the operation did not target civilian regions.
Shashi Tharoor’s ‘Shabhashi’: A Political Move
Shashi Tharoor went to X to compliment the name of the operation. He described it as “brilliant” and “evocative.” He posted a picture of a just-widowed bride from Pahalgam and said that it represented the agony behind the necessity of this strike. “The fact that sindoor is blood red also sends a telling message. Shabash to whoever thought of it!” he posted.
His words not only complimented the forces. They also expressed solidarity with the government’s daring response.
A post that went viral on the internet jokingly proposed an acronym for ‘Sindoor’: Strategic Initiative for Neutralizing Destructive Opponents with Overwhelming Retaliation. Shashi Tharoor reacted in a light vein. He dismissed the suggestion as a stretch but described it as fitting the government’s fondness for acronyms. He still complimented the idea behind the codename.
India Remains Calm, Pakistan Responds Harshly
India termed the operation as precise and non-escalatory. The government emphasized that it did not target civilians by choosing targets with care. However, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif labeled the action a “blatant act of war” and warned of retaliation. Pakistan claimed 26 fatalities and 46 injuries but did not specify whether the dead were militants or civilians.
Apart from its battlefield victory, Operation Sindoor did the unthinkable—it united political opponents. Tharoor’s open endorsement proved that, even when deeply divided, there are still some causes that can unite leaders. Amidst the high-pitched political atmosphere of modern times, such a coming together on national security is a strong message: India is united against terror.