New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday expressed his disagreement with the Colombian government over its reaction to Operation Sindoor, stating that “there can be no equivalence between those who attack and those who defend” against terror attacks.
The Colombian government had extended its heartfelt condolences for the loss of lives in Pakistan following India’s precision strikes on May 7.
Tharoor led an Indian parliamentary delegation to five countries that arrived in Colombia on Thursday, after visits to Panama and Guyana. The delegation aims to highlight Pakistan’s involvement in terror attacks and to commend India’s principled stand against terrorism.
“Colombia misunderstood the situation”
Tharoor voiced disappointment over Colombia’s statement, which mourned the loss of lives in Pakistan without acknowledging the victims of terrorism. “We were a little disappointed in the reaction of the Colombian government, which apparently expressed heartfelt condolences on the loss of lives in Pakistan after the Indian strikes, rather than sympathising with the victims of terrorism,” Tharoor said, according to ANI reports.
He emphasized that India and Pakistan played distinctly different roles in the recent conflict — with India exercising its right to self-defence, and Pakistan being the instigator of terrorist activities. He underscored the stark contrast between those who perpetrate terror and those who combat it.
“We will say to our friends in Colombia: there can be no equivalence between those who dispatch terrorists and those who resist them. There can be no equivalence between those who attack and those who defend. We are only exercising our right of self-defence, and if there is any misunderstanding here on this core issue, we are here to dispel it. We’re very happy to talk to Colombia in some detail about the circumstances,” Tharoor asserted.
He also raised the possibility that Colombia may have misunderstood the nature of Pakistan’s actions when it offered condolences for lives lost in Pakistan. Tharoor reiterated that the delegation’s primary objective is to raise awareness of Pakistan’s terror agenda, which poses a threat not just to India but to the broader international community.
