'Not Trying To Start War': In Brazil, Shashi Tharoor Says 'Just Retaliating For Terror'

Last Updated:June 03, 2025, 08:24 IST

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is leading the all-party delegation, said that Operation Sindoor was not an act of war, but retaliation for an act of terror.

Shashi Tharoor emphasised on India’s stand against terrorism in Brazil. (PTI Image)

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is leading the all-party delegation, on Monday stated that the whole idea of Operation Sindoor was to signal that India is not trying to start a war, but just conducting “retribution for an act of terror", in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The Congress MP’s reaction came during his interaction with Brazilian Ambassador Celso Amorim.

“The whole idea was to signal that we are not trying to start a war, we are just conducting retribution for an act of terror, which was a really vile act, 26 people being killed. It was horrendous and it was meant to do the maximum possible damage to India, to disrupt the Kashmiri economy, which was booming, to end the prospects of tourism flourishing in Kashmir…also to perhaps create a communal backlash in India," Tharoor said in Brazil.

The Congress leader further highlighted India’s strong stance against terrorism, saying that they have come here to understand the understanding on the part of friends and countries that are not necessarily our friends.

“I must say that we were very touched by Brazil’s President telephoning our Prime Minister, personally, to express his concern and condolences. There was no action to bring the perpetrators to justice and even to look for them in Pakistan, so finally the government decided to send a strong message," Tharoor added.

Indian & Pakistani Delegation In US At The Same Time

The Indian delegation, led by Shashi Tharoor, will be in the US for the last leg of the visit. Notably, the Indian delegation and a Pakistani team headed by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari are scheduled to visit the US around the same time on Tuesday. Their mission is to garner support for their respective countries from American lawmakers and political leaders.

Responding to the coincidence of the visits, Tharoor said that in Washington, we’ll have the interesting phenomenon of the Pakistani delegation in America, and almost exactly the same days. “Tomorrow almost they will be in Washington, while we are in Washington on the same date. So there’s going to be perhaps an increase in interest because of the fact that there are two duelling delegations in the same city," he added.

Tharoor further note the importance of importance of India’s relation with the US and said, “Frankly the Security Council in a sense is a small part of our relationship with the US which is huge, whether it comes to trade, whether it comes to defence, whether it comes intelligence sharing, whether it comes to our participation in the QUAD in the G-20, there are just so many avenues in which we cooperate with the US."

“It’s no accident that the Pakistanis have also sent a delegation abroad, but they’re not going to as many countries as the Indian delegations are. They’re focusing on what they consider a few key capitals, namely. Washington, Brussels. London. That seems to be the thrust of the Pakistani effort. We have gone to all those capitals and more," added Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

Mahima Joshi

Mahima Joshi, Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking team. Covering national stories and bringing breaking news to the table are her forte. She is deeply interested in Indian politics and a...Read More

Mahima Joshi, Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking team. Covering national stories and bringing breaking news to the table are her forte. She is deeply interested in Indian politics and a...

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News world 'Not Trying To Start War': In Brazil, Shashi Tharoor Says 'Just Retaliating For Terror'