NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading a parliamentary delegation to the United States in a diplomatic outreach to highlight India’s firm stance against terrorism, launched a scathing attack and called out the nation’s long-standing policy of harbouring terrorism.Taking aim at Pakistan’s parallel delegation led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto, Tharoor invoked Hillary Clinton’s famous rebuke: “How can you breed vipers in your backyard and expect them to bite only your neighbours?”The diplomatic face-off in Washington comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor, following the Pahalgam terror attack. While India has deployed seven delegations across 33 countries, Pakistan’s smaller diplomatic initiative covers just five capitals – Washington, New York, Brussels, London, and Moscow.Tharoor’s delegation has embarked on a comprehensive outreach program in Washington, including appearances at the National Press Club, meetings with diaspora media, and a reception hosted by the ambassador. “The message must be spread as widely as possible — through media, diaspora, and direct government outreach,” he said.“Indeed, I know that Bilawal Bhutto’s mother was killed and one sympathise with the young man for the loss of his mother to terrorism,” he added.Addressing Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts, Tharoor remarked, “They can come with their narratives… But anybody who has followed this issue beyond official headlines will have absolutely no doubt as to what the Pakistani denials are worth — which is not very much.”Pakistan’s mission seeks international mediation and the revival of the Indus Waters Treaty, which India suspended on April 23 in response to the Pahalgam attack which claimed lives of 26 people.Speaking about India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Tharoor had earlier stated in Colombia, “The time for acting on the basis of goodwill unilaterally is frankly no longer with us.”Despite India’s strong stance, Tharoor highlighted the country’s balanced approach, noting, “We sympathise with victims of terror wherever they may be. I remember Parliament once passed a resolution condemning a terrorist attack that killed 40 schoolchildren in Pakistan. But it’s very difficult to sympathise with the Pakistani authorities who have unfortunately created this phenomenon.”
