Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who led a multi-party Indian parliamentary delegation on the Operation Sindoor outreach visit to five nations, defined the diplomatic tour as a resounding success. The delegation, which toured countries such as the United States and Brazil, also toured Panama, Guyana, and Colombia.
"This was a national mission, and I was speaking the voice of the country," Tharoor said to members of the Malayalam media on Tuesday when asked if political stance by his party had a role to play in the mission.
Accompanying Tharoor on the tour were MPs Sarfaraz Ahmad, Ganti Harish Madhur, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Tejasvi Surya, and ex-diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu. The cross-party delegation met with top-level political and policy players across continents.
"The overall aim was to meet think tanks, heads of governments, legislators, and previous powerful political office-holders to express India's view of what has happened," Tharoor said.
Countering any reference of trade war or outside interference in the context of former President Donald Trump's earlier statements, Tharoor refused any such description. "After laying out the Indian position, everyone has comprehended things, for Pakistan had made a weak argument, since terrorists had launched an attack on tourists," he stated.
On the way ahead, Tharoor confirmed to present a full report personally to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I am going to give a detailed report to the Prime Minister, and it will be my report," he asserted, highlighting his personal ownership during the mission.
Detailing the rigorous traveling itinerary, he added: "The journey was very hectic since we were traveling overnight and barely had time to sleep."
Interestingly enough, Tharoor's addition and leadership in the delegation came at the request of Prime Minister Modi, following early Congress nominations that left him out. The decision was taken as a significant one considering the internal struggles that continue within the Congress Party after Tharoor's 2022 challenge to Mallikarjun Kharge for the Congress presidency.
In spite of opposition from sections of the party leadership ever since that leadership's bid, Tharoor has still enjoyed massive support, especially within his native state of Kerala. He has been the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency Congress MP since 2009.
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