Shashi Tharoor Slams Colombia’s Reaction to Operation Sindoor: “India Has Every Right to Defend Itself

India Has Every Right to Defend Itself: Shashi Tharoor Rebukes Colombia Over Operation Sindoor

Written by: Supriya Kadu

Edited by: Pinky Deshmukh

Last Updated: May 30, 2025

Summary: Shashi Tharoor was disappointed when Colombia sympathised with Pakistan after India's anti-terror operation.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor didn’t hold back during his recent visit to Colombia. Speaking on behalf of India, he voiced disappointment over Colombia’s response to Operation Sindoor—India’s cross-border counterterror strike following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam.

On May 7, India began Operation Sindoor in response to a devastating terrorist attack that killed 26 people. The operation targeted terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. While India expected the world to understand its position, Colombia's sympathies to Pakistan hit the wrong chord.

Tharoor, who was in Bogotá with an all-party parliamentary delegation, made it clear that India’s strike was not an act of aggression but an act of self-defense. "We were disappointed by Colombia's reaction," he said, referring to the country’s sympathies extended toward Pakistan. “We would’ve expected more understanding for India’s right to defend itself against terrorism.”

He emphasized there’s no comparison between a nation defending its citizens and the terrorists who attack them. To make his case stronger, Tharoor even cited reports that Pakistani military officials had attended the funerals of those labeled as terrorists, hinting at Pakistan’s indirect support for these groups.

He also pointed out that the attack in Pahalgam was carried out by ‘The Resistance Front’, a group connected to Lashkar-e-Taiba, which operates out of Pakistan. “India was only exercising its right of self-defence,” Tharoor stressed, adding that if there was any misunderstanding about India’s intentions, the delegation was ready to clarify it.

The message was clear: India will always safeguard its citizens and has the right to respond when a threat arises. Tharoor's statement serves as a reminder to the world community that sympathy should be directed towards terror victims rather than those who protect terrorists.