Shashi Tharoor On Why Op Sindoor Delegation To US Visited 9/11 Memorial

The Shashi Tharoor-led Indian delegation, which is visiting the US to expose Pakistan's role in terrorist acts on Indian soil, visited the memorial for the 9/11 attacks in 2001 that had shaken the world. Nearly 3,000 people had died and thousands of others were injured when three planes hijacked by terrorists crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The delegation led by Mr Tharoor comprises BJP MPs Bhubaneswar Kalita, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Shiv Sena's Milind Deora, TDP's GM Harish Balayogi and former diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu. The delegation visited the 9/11 memorial and paid their respects to the victims. 

#WATCH | New york, US: After paying tribute at 9/11 memorial, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, " It was obviously a very moving moment for us, but it was also meant to send a very strong message that we are here in a city which is bearing still the scars of that savage terrorist… pic.twitter.com/pRBiT4miKC

— ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2025

Speaking to the media later, Mr Tharoor said it was a "very moving moment", but it was also meant to "send a message". "It was obviously a very moving moment for us, but it was also meant to send a very strong message that we are here in a city which is bearing still the scars of that savage terrorist attack in the wake of yet another terrorist attack in our own country... unlike the US I am afraid we have had to endure a very much larger number of terrorist attacks in India," he said.

The All-Party Delegation from India, led by Dr. Shashi Tharoor @ShashiTharoor, visited the National September 11 Memorial @Sept11Memorial in New York.

The delegation solemnly paid tribute to the innocent lives lost in the tragic 9/11 attacks and reaffirmed India's unwavering… pic.twitter.com/WXIGKF7cN5

— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) May 25, 2025

"We came both as a reminder that this is a shared problem, but also out of a spirit of solidarity with the victims, who included Indians...it is a global problem, it's a scourge, we must fight it unitedly," the Congress MP and former diplomat added.

Mr Tharoor leads one of the seven delegations New Delhi has rushed to different parts of the world with its message on Operation Sindoor, India's counterstrike in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 innocents dead.

On May 7, India carried out airstrikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. While India stressed that its offensive is restricted to terror bases, Pakistan responded by firing hundreds of drones and missiles at India's defence installations and civilian areas. India responded by targeting Pakistan's military installation before a ceasefire was announced on May 10 on Pakistan's request. While Islamabad has thanked the US for its intervention in the conflict, New Delhi has maintained that Washington DC's role was limited to expressing concern.

"The US was in the United States," Mr Jaishankar said in an interview when he was asked about Washington's involvement. He confirmed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance had reached out but their role was limited to expressing concern. "We made one thing very clear to everybody who spoke to us, not just the United States but to everyone, saying if the Pakistanis want to stop fighting, they need to tell us. We need to hear it from them. Their general has to call up our general and say this. And that is what happened," he said.