Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary has strongly backed the NDA government’s diplomatic and military response to the Pahalgam terror attack, calling it “technically sound” and “robust,” while also praising the inclusive and bipartisan nature of India’s global outreach campaign. He also came out in support of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who faced criticism from within his own party for praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the diplomatic mission.
“I think India's response militarily was very, very technically sound and robust and we sent the message of zero tolerance. We targeted non-state actors and when the state that was complicit came forward, we did not hesitate from, you know, attacking beyond our borders. So that sent a very strong and aggressive message,” Chaudhary told Moneycontrol in an interview to Moneycontrol, as he referred to India’s cross-border strikes in the aftermath of the attack.
Seven multi-party delegations of Indian MPs and officials, representing various political parties, travelled to 33 countries to discuss India's stance on terrorism and its actions in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, particularly Operation Sindoor. These delegations aimed at garnering international support and understanding for India's efforts to counter terrorism, especially cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
He hailed India’s broader diplomatic strategy, noting the way it signalled unity to the international community. “India's stance is clear. We are not in favour of any war and conflict and we have emerged as a responsible global power... I do feel that the way diplomatically the outreach was designed and planned, it was spectacular. It was unheard of, unthought of and the involvement of senior leaders across the political spectrum is also important,” he said.
Chaudhary emphasised the importance of speaking in one voice on the global stage, despite political rivalries at home. “Domestically, our opposition can be very, very strident and aggressive at times and that is part of democracy. But when we go out, it is about the national interest. That message was made very, very clear.”
He also acknowledged the growing role of information warfare and narrative-building in the modern age. “Wars are now being fought with drones and narratives are being created through tweets. So, social media and disinformation, misinformation is also important and cannot be ignored... the outreach was very, very effective,” he said.
Defending Shashi Tharoor’s participation in the high-level diplomatic delegation, Chaudhary said, “The inclusion of Shashi ji... gave a very credible voice” due to his diplomatic background, former role as Minister of State for External Affairs, and current chairmanship of the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs.
He listed other prominent opposition leaders who were part of the outreach, including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Asaduddin Owaisi, Kanimozhi, John Brittas, and Salman Khurshid, and said their presence “clearly communicated India's stance.”
Responding to the internal criticism Tharoor faced from Congress colleagues for praising the PM, Chaudhary offered a candid take: “I can understand that. You know, I have been in opposition; it's not easy. For 10 years, even I was on the losing side of things, and that can have a deep-rooted personal impact on the leader's psyche. I do feel that, especially in the Congress party, at the very senior level, that is what has happened. They are unable to get out of this track.”
He warned that constant negativity can backfire. “Just criticising everything, blanketly everything, just because we're in opposition... people are very very smart. They see through these things. So, I do think that Congress should refrain from just blanketly criticising. They should come forward in constructive manner.”
Praising Tharoor’s approach, Chaudhary concluded, “There is space for opposition to play a constructive kind of role in Indian polity. And I think Shashi ji coming forward, taking that responsibility on his shoulders and the way he has done it, the people of the country are watching him and liking him.”
Tharoor’s recent remarks praising the Narendra Modi government's response to terror since it took over didn’t go down well with some Congress leaders. So much so that the BJP leaders have cited Tharoor’s strong defence of the government to school and shame the opposition, including the Congress.
Last week, Tharoor also publicly admitted for the first time that he has differences with some people in the present leadership of the party.
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