What Price Will Be Paid for Terror Attacks like Pahalgam?

Washington, June 6 (NationPress) Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, currently at the helm of an all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation in the US, emphasized that there will be a price to pay for conducting terror acts akin to the recent incident in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22. He asserted that India will not permit individuals from across the border to harm Indian citizens without facing consequences.

The Indian delegation, under Tharoor's leadership, engaged with various think-tank members at the US Embassy on Thursday, focusing on India's struggle against terrorism and the multifaceted India-US partnership, as highlighted by the Indian Embassy on the social media platform X.

Tharoor's delegation features members from diverse political parties, including Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G.M. Harish Balayogi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejasvi Surya, and Bhubaneswar Kalita (all from the BJP), along with former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora.

During discussions with think tanks and young professionals, Tharoor noted that the delegation has garnered solidarity and understanding wherever they visited.

He reiterated India's position that terrorist attacks like the one in Pahalgam will incur consequences.

“I’m pleased to state that everywhere we went, we received what we sought: understanding and solidarity. We will continue our meetings today and tomorrow. I want to highlight that this is not how we wished to spend our time,” he remarked.

“Our nation is oriented towards growth and development. Our focus is to uplift people below the poverty line and advance towards our vision of a developed India. However, when faced with such attacks driven by cynical motives, it becomes essential to make clear that we will not let individuals cross the border and kill our citizens without repercussions. These meticulously planned and military-style executed terror strikes will indeed incur a price, and that was the strong message we conveyed,” he added.

Earlier, the Tharoor-led Indian delegation met with US Vice-President J.D. Vance and engaged in extensive discussions on a broad spectrum of critical topics, from counter-terrorism initiatives to enhancing technological collaboration.

“We had an excellent meeting with Vice-President J.D. Vance in Washington D.C., discussing vital issues, including counter-terrorism and technological cooperation. It was a constructive exchange aimed at strengthening the India-US strategic partnership,” Tharoor stated in another post on X.

“We met with Vice-President J.D. Vance today, alongside members of our All-Party Delegation. During his recent visit to India, VP Vance witnessed the brutality of Pakistan-backed attacks on innocent civilians, emphasizing the urgency of global efforts to curb Pakistani terror. We discussed critical issues, ranging from India’s robust counter-terrorism measures under PM Narendra Modi to enhancing technological cooperation between Bharat and the US,” Tejasvi Surya noted in a post on X.

“Yesterday, we had a wonderfully positive meeting with the #IndiaCaucus leadership. US Congressman Andy Barr, co-vice-Chair of the India Caucus (Republican); Congressman Rich McCormick, co-Chair of the India Caucus (Republican); Representative Ro Khanna, co-Chair of the India Caucus (Democrat); and Representative Mark Veasey, co-vice-Chair of the India Caucus (Democrat), engaged in excellent discussions. Our delegation greatly appreciates their strong bipartisan support for strengthening the India-US strategic partnership. It’s inspiring to see such bipartisan consensus on the importance of the India-US relationship. We look forward to building on this positive momentum!” Tharoor remarked.

“Our public engagement at the Willard hotel was a remarkable success, with over 350 attendees. This event allowed us to connect with the Indian Diaspora, a recurring theme in our meetings on Capitol Hill. While others discussed Operation Sindoor in detail, I focused on the potential for economic and geopolitical alignment between our nations, with the Diaspora as catalysts. I encouraged the Diaspora to actively participate in Viksit Bharat, fostering a connection to India essential for our relationship,” BJP MP Shashank Mani Tripathi stated in a post on X.

The all-party delegation arrived in the US after concluding their visit to Brazil.

This diplomatic initiative forms part of India's broader global outreach launched following Operation Sindoor on May 7, which was a military response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam by Pakistan-sponsored militants, claiming 26 lives and injuring several others.

Following this, the Indian Armed Forces executed strikes targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the elimination of over 100 militants associated with groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.