"That Shouldn't Be Allowed": Shashi Tharoor's Quip After Son Asks Question In US

Shashi Tharoor made it clear at the outset that the person questioning him at the press conference in New York is his son, Ishan Tharoor, adding with a big smile that "it shouldn't be allowed". 

Mr Tharoor, leading the all-party delegation on Operation Sindoor, India's diplomatic effort launched to combat terrorism and disinformation following the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, is in the United States to brief key stakeholders on India's efforts following the deadly attack.

It was during one such press conference at the Council of Foreign Relations in New York that Ishan Tharoor got up to ask a question. 

"You have to stand up. That shouldn't be allowed. This is my son," said Shashi Tharoor with a big smile.

"Ishan Tharoor of the Washington Post," the son replied, with a straight face.

#WATCH | Washington DC: On a question asked by his son about whether any country had asked the delegation for evidence of Pakistan's involvement in the Pahalgam attack and about Pakistan's repeated denials of any role in the attack, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "I'm very glad… pic.twitter.com/RR0tcVOwpU

— ANI (@ANI) June 5, 2025

"Definitely asking a question in a personal capacity. And mostly to say hi before you go off to your next engagement," said the Junior Tharoor, who is a foreign affairs columnist at the Washington Post. 

The columnist son asked his father that as he has been touring countries in the western hemisphere as part of India's diplomatic outreach efforts, have any of your "government interlocutors asked you to show evidence of Pakistan's culpability in the initial attacks".

"Well, I'm very glad you raised this, Ishan. I didn't plant it, I promise you. This guy does this to his dad," said the Senior Tharoor, before switching gears to answer the question. 

"Very simply, no one had any doubt and we were not asked for evidence. But the media have asked in two or three places. Let me say very clearly that India would not have done this without convincing evidence," said Mr Tharoor.

The Congress MP reminded his American audience that Osama Bin Laden was found in a Pakistani safe house near an Army camp.

"But there were three particular reasons I want to draw your attention to all of you. The first is that we've had a 37-year pattern of repeated terror attacks from Pakistan, accompanied by repeated denials. I mean, Americans haven't forgotten that Pakistan didn't know, allegedly, where Osama bin Laden was until he was found in a Pakistani safe house right next to an army camp in a cantonment city. That's Pakistan. Mumbai attacks - they denied having anything to do with it...So we know what Pakistan's all about. They will dispatch terrorists, they will deny they did so until they're actually caught with red hands..." said Mr Tharoor.