Washington, D. C. : On Wednesday, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is heading an all-party parliamentary delegation to the United States, met with Bipartisan co-chairs Ro Khanna and Rich McCormick, as well as vice co-chairs Andy Barr and Marc Veasey. Tharoor stated that US Congressmen have great backing and knowledge for India's viewpoint on the Pahalgam terrorist attack and the events that followed.
Tharoor told journalists that McCormick was quite positive about the future of India-US relations, the economy, and worldwide strategic concerns.
Tharoor told reporters after meeting with Khanna, McCormick, Barr, and Veasey that Mr. McCormick not only understood what we had to tell him, but he was also very positive about the future of India-US relations in all sectors, including the economy, global strategic issues, and so this specific problem we started off discussing was part of a much broader picture, which we are very pleased to hear the kind of vision the India Caucus chairs have for the future of our relationship.
Tharoor also mentioned the support the team received from other Congressmen. He said, "The other Congressmen who are also here sent a clear signal, and they just left the room. " So, we've received tremendous support and understanding for our stance on this awful, horrible tragedy (Pahalgam attack) and the events that ensued. So we leave this room quite pleased with the discussion.
During a meeting with Ro Khanna, Rich McCormick, Andy Barr, and Marc Veasey, the parliamentary delegation briefed the Caucus members on the cross-border terrorism that India confronts, as well as India's strong and determined opposition to terrorism.
The delegation, headed by Tharoor, includes Members of Parliament from all political parties, representing India's rich and diverse democratic nature. The group includes Sarfaraz Ahmad, Ganti Harish Madhur, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Tejasvi Surya, and former Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
The Indian Embassy in the United States stated that Congressmen strongly backed India's right to respond to terrorism in the spirit of zero tolerance for terrorism. The Caucus participants applauded the strong strategic connection between India and the United States.
According to a tweet from the Indian Embassy in the United States, Bipartisan cochairs @RoKhanna and @RepMcCormick, as well as vice cochairs @RepAndyBarr and @RepVeasey of the India Caucus in the House of Representatives, met with a visiting Parliamentary delegation led by @ShashiTharoor today.
The congressional delegation briefed Caucus members on the cross-border terrorism that India faces, as well as India's strong and decisive approach to the fight against terror. The congressmen offered unified and bipartisan criticism of the terror incident in Pahalgam. They backed India's right to respond to terrorism in the spirit of zero tolerance for terrorism. The Caucus members also commended the robust strategic cooperation between India and the United States, according to the statement.
Shashi Tharoor's all-party delegation arrived in Washington DC earlier today to begin a two-day visit with significant US stakeholders. The Indian Embassy in the United States said on X from its official account that the delegation would meet with members of the US Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The delegation will also meet with academics from prestigious think tanks and media outlets. The delegation is set to speak at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington, D. C. , with the event being broadcast live on the CFR website.
During their trip, the delegation will also meet with members of the Indian diaspora, enhancing community relations. The team intends to inform important US stakeholders on Operation Sindoor, India's diplomatic campaign aimed at fighting terrorism and disinformation in the aftermath of recent terrorist acts in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a post on X, Tharoor characterized his trip to Washington as a horrific, three-stage overnight journey from Brasilia via Sao Paulo and Panama, during which he only managed to get one and a half hours of sleep.
When he arrived, he was greeted by two Indian-American police officers, Harmanpreet Singh and Hundal. Tharoor conducted an interview with CBS News at the Indian Embassy, followed by a briefing with Ambassador Vinay Kwatra and his team. Following the completion of their trip to Belgium, the delegation arrived in the United States.
