“India Will Hit Back Harder If Provoked Again…”: Shashi Tharoor Warns Pakistan of Strong Retaliation, Reaffirms India’s Commitment to Peace

Speaking at a high-level diplomatic forum in Guyana, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor gave a strong warning to Pakistan, stating that India would respond decisively to any future provocation, while firmly reiterating the country's commitment to peace. He emphasised that military actions under Operation Sindoor were purely retaliatory, launched in response to the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, and were not intended as the beginning of a broader military campaign.

“We had no desire to convey that it was the opening salvo in what was meant to be a sort of protracted war,” said Tharoor. “Each strike was retaliatory, each action taken by India was only in response to Pakistan.”

Launched on 7 May, Operation Sindoor targeted nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The strikes were aimed at dismantling camps operated by groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. Indian forces carried out the mission with precision, ensuring it remained limited and proportionate.

Tharoor highlighted that throughout the operation, India actively engaged with international partners to ensure transparency and reassure the global community of its peaceful intentions. “When governments called us to express concern, we conveyed exactly this message throughout, which is that we are not interested in war,” he said. “India acted purely on the principle of deterrence, not aggression.”

He added that the objective was not to escalate conflict but to protect Indian lives and demonstrate that terrorist attacks would not go unanswered. The strikes, he said, were driven by necessity and ceased once Pakistan initiated communication to de-escalate tensions.

“If Pakistan stops, we will have no reason to retaliate,” Tharoor said. “And that is, in the end, what happened on the morning of the 10th of May, Indian time — they reached out to our Director General of Military Operations.”

According to Tharoor, backchannel communications from Islamabad marked a pivotal moment in defusing tensions. He described the outreach as a “turning point,” leading to a cessation of hostilities and a restoration of calm.

Despite reaffirming India’s peaceful stance, Tharoor issued a stern warning against any future provocations. “We are at peace today, and we want to remain at peace,” he declared. “That’s also a very strong message — but we want to remain in peace with strength, as your President said yesterday, not out of fear.” He added with emphasis, “We are not afraid that these people would hit us again. If they hit us again, they’re going to get it back worse.”

Following his remarks in Guyana, Tharoor is set to lead an all-party parliamentary delegation to Panama. The visit, scheduled to begin Tuesday, will further India’s diplomatic campaign against terrorism and demonstrate national unity on the issue.

The delegation will engage with Panamanian leaders, strategic thinkers, media representatives, and members of the Indian diaspora. According to a post by the Indian Embassy in Panama, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, the visit aims to “underline India’s strong message of zero-tolerance for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”

The group includes MPs from across the political spectrum, including Sarfaraz Ahmad (JMM), Gants Harish Madhur Balayogi (TDP), Shashank Mani Tripathi (BJP), Bhubaneswar Kalita (BJP), Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), Tejasvi Surya (BJP), as well as India’s former Ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Sandhu.

The delegation will also focus on promoting India’s message of unity and peace, reinforcing the country’s position as a responsible and resilient power in the face of security threats.​