Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed India’s disappointment with the Colombian government for extending condolences to Pakistan following Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor, instead of showing solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam attack.
Currently heading a multiparty delegation to Colombia, Tharoor clarified on May 29, 2025, that India was merely exercising its right to self-defence.
“India has no desire for conflict, but terrorism cannot be tolerated without consequence,” Tharoor said during a visit to Panama.
He remarked, “We were somewhat disheartened by Colombia’s response, which conveyed deep sympathies for the casualties in Pakistan, yet overlooked the innocent lives lost to terrorism in India.”
Addressing the Colombian leadership, Tharoor emphasised: “There can be no moral equivalence between those who perpetrate terror and those who defend against it. Our actions were defensive, not aggressive, and we’re here to clarify any misconceptions surrounding this issue.”
He added that India is open to discussing the matter with Colombia in detail and possesses strong evidence.
“The Pahalgam attack was promptly claimed by The Resistance Front, an affiliate of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba,” Tharoor noted.
On the Indian response, he affirmed that the country could not let the Pahalgam attack go unanswered, prompting the targeted strikes against terror bases under Operation Sindoor.
