Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora reaffirmed the strengthening India-US strategic alliance, stating that the United States fully understands the threat of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and supports India’s right to defend itself in the event of any hostile action.
“America and India share a deep strategic partnership, which has grown significantly over the past 20 years. We are natural allies,” Deora said during the all-party delegation’s visit to Washington. He pointed to the 9/11 attacks, where terrorists trained in Pakistan, as the turning point in America’s understanding of terrorism emanating from the region. “Later, Osama bin Laden was also found in Pakistan,” he added, underscoring the roots of US-India convergence on counterterrorism.
He noted that the US House Foreign Affairs Committee has expressed clear support for India’s right to retaliate against any Pakistani aggression. Deora also touched upon the economic relationship, saying, “India and the US will reach a trade deal soon. Negotiations are underway and progressing well.”
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading the multi-party delegation, provided insight into the symbolism behind India’s recent counter-terrorism operation, named Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
“‘Sindoor’ refers to the vermilion mark worn by married Hindu women,” Tharoor explained. “These terrorists killed husbands in front of their wives but deliberately spared the women, telling them to go back and tell others what they’d witnessed. That act was seen as wiping away the sindoor — a brutal psychological assault.”
“The operation’s name was a powerful message,” Tharoor added. “It symbolized both a cultural loss and a vow for justice. The bloodshed they caused would be answered in kind — ‘sindoor ka badla khoon’.”
Tharoor further revealed that Indian forces targeted 11 Pakistani airfields, causing significant damage, including cratered runways and destroyed command centers. “Pakistan has publicly acknowledged that the Indian strikes were far-reaching — from Hyderabad in the south to Peshawar in the northwest,” he said.
The cross-party delegation includes MPs from the Shiv Sena, BJP, Congress, Lok Janshakti Party, JMM, TDP, and others, along with former Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu. The team arrived in Washington after a similar diplomatic mission in Brazil, aiming to rally international understanding and support for India’s firm stance against cross-border terrorism following Operation Sindoor.