Internet impressed with Shashi Tharoor's defense of India against Pakistan in global media: 'Mad respect'

Shashi Tharoor has been speaking to Western and Middle Eastern media houses and posting on social media to reiterate India's stance that the country only acted in self-defence after terrorists from Pakistan killed 26 people in Pahalgam on April 22.

The India-Pakistan conflict has witnessed an exchange of fire and fiery words across the border, but amid this, a few personalities have been fighting to prevent false narratives from being presented in the international media against India. Among them, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has emerged as a hero championing the country's cause relentlessly through social media and via interviews with the national and international press.

Although being a leader of the opposition party, Tharoor has not let party lines define his support for his country -- a trait that social media users have noticed and praised.

Tharoor has spoken to multiple Western and Middle Eastern media channels, making it clear that India only acted in self-defence after terrorists from Pakistan killed 26 people in Pahalgam on April 22.

"What India wanted to do was to make it very clear that Pakistan can't come across the border, kill innocent civilians who are just enjoying a tourist holiday and just walk back across without having to pay a price for it," he said in an interview with Al Arabiya, a Saudi state-owned international Arabic news television channel. A clip from the interview is viral.

India needs more voices like @ShashiTharoor to share our message on global platforms. pic.twitter.com/yI9zWE4Xrg

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Ganesh Sonawane (@ganeshunwired) May 9, 2025

"In my humble opinion, Shashi Tharoor is the spokesman BJP needs, but doesn’t have. Yet," author and columnist Suhel Seth said.

"Watched interviews of Shashi Tharoor and Vikram Doraiswami with foreign media. Outstanding tabling of facts and Indian stance. Unmasking the Pakistani narrative and then shredding it into pieces. They sound like how a matured, upcoming power who is a big brother in a region should sound," commented Rahul (@anpadhCS). "The government should engage and brief Shashi Tharoor and let him lose on international media — he is the absolute best we have to shape our narratives at such times," wrote Arvind Chari (@arrychary). Another X user S Shuklaa

(@Picassaa24) added, "Kudos to Shashi Tharoor for doing an excellent job countering the narrative at the international level. While Pakistan tries to play the victim, Tharoor is exposing their hypocrisy with clarity and conviction."

The two spokespersons Govt should depute for the international media. Both from the Opposition1) Asaduddin Owaisi @asadowaisi 2) Shashi Tharoor @ShashiTharoor Top speakers as well as a symbol of political unity. Vishal Bhargava (@VishalBhargava5) May 10, 2025

X user said Harshil (@MehHarshil), "India needs to get ready to counter global propaganda. Get 10 Shashi Tharoor-like personalities and launch them in foreign media." A fourth user, Gaurav Aggarwal (@fooobar), commented, "Mad respect for Shashi Tharoor who has become the unofficial spokesperson to puncture false and biased narratives in the western media. Given that he is from an opposition party, it makes it even more impactful. No one else could have done it better - take a bow, Sir!"

Another viral clip of Tharoor's is an excerpt from a 2015 interview with Al Jazeera where the Congress leader was asked by the news anchor when the conflict between India and Pakistan would end.

This conflict will end only when Pakistan stops being the kind of state that it is, declared Shashi Tharoor on Indias long fight with PAK pic.twitter.com/PuH6mPdamW

Shashank Mattoo (@MattooShashank) May 11, 2025

Speaking about the US taking credit for brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, Tharoor minced no words as he listed four points on X why US President Donald Trump's stand is disappointing for India. The former UN diplomat also pointed out that India would never negotiate with a terrorist gun pointed at its head.

Mr Trumps post is disappointing for India in four important ways: First, it implies a false equivalence between the victim and the perpetrator, and seemingly overlooks the US own past unwavering stance against Pakistans well-documented links to cross-border terrorism. Second, https://t.co/Za5cvwq82M Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 12, 2025

Tharoor interpreted the US's moves as "not mediation" but its efforts at playing a constructive role and called it a "very unfortunate way of proceeding". "I think that's a very unfortunate way of proceeding. I have certainly never seen anything like that in international diplomacy," said the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram.

Trump had on Saturday and Monday claimed that the US had mediated between India and Pakistan which resulted in a full and immediate ceasefire between the warring countries. The ceasefire announced on Saturday lasted only for a few hours.

Tharoor also gained praise for strongly defending foreign secretary Vikram Misri after he faced a wave of targeted online abuse following the announcement of the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan. He called it "preposterous" and praised the diplomat's handling of one of the most tense moments in recent India-Pakistan relations.

"There's no doubt that Vikram Misri is an outstanding officer who has served the nation admirably for decades, most recently during the current crisis," Tharoor wrote on X. "I stand with him and deplore those who would insult and undermine an honest and hard-working public servant."

Several X users lauded Tharoor and voiced their support for the senior official.

"One of the best things about the attack on Pakistan terror targets was knowing that we have men of such dignity as Vikram Misri in our bureaucracy," commented Kaustav Songman (@KaustavSongman). "I agree. Mr. Misri's service has been exemplary. His dedication deserves recognition, not criticism," wrote Pushap Raj Verma (@iPRVerma)