Following a successful visit to Brazil, an all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor arrived in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday evening as part of India’s global diplomatic initiative under Operation Sindoor. The mission aims to rally international support against Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
The two-day visit marks the final leg of the delegation’s five-nation outreach, which previously included stops in Guyana, Panama, Colombia, and Brazil. The delegation is expected to meet with key members of the US Congress, the Trump administration, leading think tanks, media, and policymakers to share India’s position on terrorism and provide clarity on the objectives and outcomes of Operation Sindoor.
Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra received the delegation at the airport. The Indian Embassy later posted on X, “Over the next two days, the delegation will be meeting members of the US Congress and administration, think tanks, media and policymakers to brief them on Operation Sindoor and India’s strong stand against terrorism.”
Along with Tharoor, the nine-member delegation includes:
- Shambhavi Choudhary (LJP – Ram Vilas)
- Sarfaraz Ahmad (JMM)
- GM Harish Balayogi (TDP)
- Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Tejasvi Surya (BJP)
- Milind Deora (Shiv Sena)
- Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu
In a post on X, Milind Deora wrote, “Touchdown in Washington, DC. #OperationSindoor.”
The Washington leg of the visit comes at a diplomatically sensitive time, with a Pakistani delegation led by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also present in the US. Tharoor acknowledged the need to counter competing narratives and misinformation, especially in Washington, which he described as a global influencer with “many crosscurrents of information.”
Speaking from Brazil earlier, Tharoor stressed that many countries instinctively advocate for dialogue, but fail to grasp the impossibility of talks when terrorism is actively supported and exported by a state. “It’s very difficult to have a dialogue with people who are pointing a gun at your head,” he stated. He called on Pakistan to dismantle its terrorism infrastructure and stop offering safe haven to militants.
The delegation’s primary message is India’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism and the assertion that any progress in regional peace must begin with ending state-backed violence.
As the mission wraps up in Washington, the Indian team hopes to cement international solidarity and correct misconceptions surrounding India’s actions, particularly in light of recent claims by US President Donald Trump regarding mediation in an India-Pakistan ceasefire—claims India strongly denies.
Tharoor reaffirmed that it was Pakistan that reached out seeking a halt to hostilities, not India.
The visit underlines India’s proactive diplomacy in ensuring that its counter-terror narrative is heard, understood, and supported at the highest levels across the world.