Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday asserted that India has received “total support and solidarity” from US lawmakers in fighting terrorism.

The Indian all-party parliamentary delegation led by Tharoor arrived in the US on Wednesday and met the lawmakers on the same day.

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The delegation’s visit to the US comes under India’s unprecedented diplomatic campaign to expose Pakistan’s sustained role in cross-border terrorism following the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

In a diplomatic outreach following Operation Sindoor, the Modi government has formed seven multi-party delegations to inform different nations about Pakistan’s links to terrorism and India’s strong message of zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Tharoor is leading an all-party delegation to the US for India’s global outreach campaign of Operation Sindoor and the fight against Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism.

Addressing a news conference in Washington, the Congress MP said, “We didn’t have a single skeptical or negative voice.” “On the contrary, what we got was very, very positive responses,” he said.

There was “total support and solidarity for India and its fight against terrorism” and expressions of “complete understanding of India’s right to defend itself against terrorism,” Tharoor said.

On its mission of conveying the message of zero tolerance for terrorism and the rationale for Operation Sindoor, Team Tharoor met with the India Caucus of the Congress; members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee including the chairs of two of the South Asia and the East Asia subcommittees, and a group of six senators, five of whom are of the Foreign Relations Committee and one on the Intelligence Committee.

Tharoor’s narrative was echoed by Congress members who met with the delegation.

Like the Indian delegation cutting across party lines, the members of Congress from both the US showed support for India.

Meanwhile, while addressing the Indian diaspora in Washington, Tharoor

recalled the harrowing moment during the recent Pahalgam terror attack when a woman, horrified after watching her husband die, screamed out — “kill me too,” but the terrorists said no and told her to go back and tell the story.

Highlighting this, the Congress leader emphasised the overwhelming and unconditional support India has received from US lawmakers in the aftermath of the attack.

Speaking as part of an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation, Tharoor said the visit’s main purpose was to share what India has endured and seek solidarity in the fight against terrorism.

“There’s been a very wide, impressive cross-section of legislators who met us, spoke to us. I must say our purpose in coming was actually very simple. Lay out what we’ve been through in India in the last few weeks, with the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, and seek understanding and solidarity with us on these measures…” Tharoor said.

Describing the nature of the engagement, he added, “The relationship with India matters to all these people. The strategic partnership is real. We saw it in practice… There are always things going on. In fact, when our meeting was ending at the Senate, they had to rush off to a vote. There’s always something going on, but they found the time for us and they engage with us in a very positive and constructive way.”

Tharoor also noted the strong bipartisan backing received, stating, “We came prepared for much more by having a pushback or questions or even some skepticism we found none, there has been unconditional support extended to us in our struggle against terrorism…”

He further highlighted the diverse composition of the Indian delegation and contrasted it with the divisive motives behind the Pahalgam attack.

“Seven MPs representing five political parties, seven states and we also have two ambassadors with us, the current and the former ambassador of Washington. We have eight states and three religions… I mentioned religions not because it should matter, but because the terrorists in Pahalgam tried to make religion an issue by asking their victims what their religion was before shooting them between the eyes and performing this heinous crime in a way that there would be survivors to tell the story of their questions… That is the message they wanted to give…”

Addressing the diaspora directly, Tharoor urged them to continue voicing their concerns and influencing their elected representatives.

“When you speak up to your representatives and you tell them what you’d like to see happening in their positions, on matters that affect all of you and affect your families back home and affect India, that really counts. They are conscious of you, they respect you, you’re all very, very high achievers, people who do significant things…” he said.