Shashi Tharoor, a prominent Member of Parliament, has asserted that India has achieved its objective of teaching terrorists and Pakistan a lesson following recent events. This statement comes amidst heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, sparked by a terrorist attack in Pahalgam that resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians.
Tharoor has been vocal in his assessment of the situation, stating that India's strikes on Pakistan targeted "well-known terror bases". He criticized Pakistan as a "master of denial" that has supported terrorism for decades to destabilize India. According to Tharoor, Pakistan has been "deploying terrorists for 30 years" with the aim of "bleed[ing] India by a thousand cuts" and capturing Kashmir. He stated that Pakistan's efforts have failed and will continue to fail.
Following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian armed forces conducted precision strikes targeting terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India has said that it targeted three Pakistani airbases — Nur Khan in Rawalpindi, Murid in Chakwal, and Rafiqui in Jhang — in an overnight attack, hours after Pakistani drones were sighted in 26 locations across many areas in Indian states. Tharoor explained that the locations targeted by India were "extremely well-known terror bases" used by groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. He acknowledged the possibility of civilian casualties but asserted that these locations were primarily inhabited by families of terrorist leaders or individuals training to become terrorists.
Tharoor has emphasized that India is a "status quo power" with no desire to claim any territory held by Pakistan. He stated that India is focused on its own economic growth, technological advancement, and the future of its young people, and would prefer to be left alone by Pakistan. He described Pakistan as a "revisionist power" that "claims territory India holds" and a "bigoted power that wishes to take over parts of India on the grounds that people living there happen to share the same religion as the Pakistanis".
Despite the tensions, Tharoor welcomed the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, which was reportedly mediated by the United States. He reiterated that India never desired a long-term war but aimed to teach terrorism a lesson. He stressed that if Pakistan ceases its "unnecessary provocations," India will not engage in further military action.
Tharoor has also criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for politicizing the India-Pakistan tensions by highlighting terror attacks that occurred during the UPA era. He called this a "petty attempt to divide us politically" at a time when the nation should stand united.
