logo
Indian delegation impact: Colombia retracts statement on Op Sindoor, setback for Pak

Indian delegation impact: Colombia retracts statement on Op Sindoor, setback for Pak

First Posta day ago

After the successful conduct of Operation Sindoor, Colombia backed Pakistan, expressing condolences over the loss of lives in Pakistan owing to the Indian Army's air strikes, which were precise in nature read more
In a big diplomatic win for India, Colombia has taken back its earlier statement on Operation Sindoor after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed disappointment over its leadership's comments.
What did Colombia say before?
After the successful conduct of Operation Sindoor, Colombia backed Pakistan, expressing condolences over the loss of lives in Pakistan owing to the Indian Army's air strikes, which were precise in nature.
According to a report by News18, the Indian delegation told officials in Colombia that 'there is a distinction between tourists killed and terrorists neutralised' and that both cannot be equated.
Following a meeting with MP Alejandro Toro, President of the Second Commission of the Chamber of Representatives, Tharoor said, 'There is no equivalence possible between terrorists on the one hand and innocent civilians on the other. There is no equivalence between those who attack our country and those who defend their own country, and our only disappointment with the earlier statement by Colombia was that it seemed to have overlooked this difference.'
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
What had Tharoor said earlier?
At a media briefing in this Colombian capital city on Thursday, Tharoor elaborated India's position on terrorism, spoke about Operation Sindoor and expressed disappointment over Colombia's response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Tharoor 'reaffirmed India's stance on terrorism and expressed disappointment over Colombia's response, which has offered condolences for the loss of lives in Pakistan, rather than sympathising with the victims of terrorism in India,' said BJP parliamentarian Tejasvi Surya.
What has Colombia said now?
After protests from the Indian delegation, Colombia officially retracted its statement on Operation Sindoor.
'We are very confident that with the explanation that we received today and the detailed information that we now have regarding the real situation, the conflict, and what happened in Kashmir, we can also continue the dialogue,' Colombia's Vice Foreign Minister, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, said.
#WATCH | Colombia officially withdraws its earlier statement that it issued expressing condolences on the loss of lives in Pakistan after the Indian strikes; earlier, Shashi Tharoor, who is leading the all-party delegation, raised concern and said - we (India) were a little… pic.twitter.com/iVFmLUl1yP — ANI (@ANI) May 30, 2025
Tharoor replied, 'The Vice Minister very graciously mentioned that they have withdrawn the statement that we had expressed concern about and that they fully understand our position on the matter, which is something we really value.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bengal: Political row erupts over the arrest of Sharmishta Panoli
Bengal: Political row erupts over the arrest of Sharmishta Panoli

Hindustan Times

time16 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Bengal: Political row erupts over the arrest of Sharmishta Panoli

Kolkata: A political row erupted in West Bengal on Sunday over the arrest of social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli by the Kolkata Police earlier this week for her alleged controversial post. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lashed out against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the state alleging that the arrest of the 22-year-old law student was 'selective enforcement' and the Kolkata Police acted in 'uncharacteristic haste'. 'Sharmistha Panoli, just 22 years old, has been arrested and sent to 14-day judicial custody over a video she had already deleted and publicly apologised for on May 15. There have been no reports of communal unrest linked to her remarks, yet the Kolkata Police is acting with uncharacteristic haste. This is no longer about law and order — it is about selective enforcement,' Amit Malviya, BJP's IT cell head, wrote on X. She was arrested from Gurugram in Haryana by the Kolkata Police late on Friday night and was brought to Kolkata. She was produced before the court on Saturday. The court sent her to judicial custody till June 13. 'Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself has made far more divisive statements, which have had far-reaching consequences, including tragic loss of life and destruction of property on multiple occasions. Will the law be applied to her with the same urgency? India is watching. This isn't just a case in West Bengal — it reflects how a young Hindu woman is being targeted to appease a vote bank. Justice must not be politically convenient,' Malviya wrote. Geert Wilder, Dutch Parliament member and the leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom, also took to social media to extend his support to Panoli. 'Free the brave Sharmishta Panoli! It's a disgrace for the freedom of speech that she was arrested. Don't punish her for speaking the truth about Pakistan and Muhammad. Help her @narendramodi,' he wrote. Pawan Kalyan, deputy chief minister of Andhra Pradesh also slammed the TMC over the arrest while asking the police to act justly. 'During Operation Sindoor, Sharmistha, a law student, spoke out, her words regrettable and hurtful to some. She owned her mistake, deleted the video and apologized. The WB Police swiftly acted, taking action against Sharmistha. But what about the deep, searing pain inflicted upon millions when elected leaders, MPs of TMC, mock Sanatana Dharma? Where is the outrage when our faith is called 'Gandha Dharm'? Where is their apology? Where is their swift arrest?' Kalyan wrote on X. Panoli later deleted the post and issued a public apology, but by then, an FIR had already been filed in Kolkata. HT got in touch with at least three senior TMC leaders. None of them commented on the developments. The Kolkata Police however refuted allegations that Panoli was arrested unlawfully or the police acted in a haste. 'All legal procedures were duly adhered to. All attempts were made to serve notice, but she was found absconding on every occasion. Consequently, a warrant of arrest was issued by the competent court, following which she was apprehended lawfully from Gurgaon. She was thereafter produced before the appropriate magistrate and granted transit remand as per due process of law,' the Kolkata Police wrote on X

Free Sharmistha, don't make West Bengal another North Korea: Kangana Ranaut
Free Sharmistha, don't make West Bengal another North Korea: Kangana Ranaut

Hans India

time18 minutes ago

  • Hans India

Free Sharmistha, don't make West Bengal another North Korea: Kangana Ranaut

Joining other celebrities in supporting creator Sharmistha Panoli, Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut on Sunday said the former's arrest over a now-deleted social media post was 'unjustified' and amounted to a North Korea-type dictatorship. Kangana, known for essaying characters of strong women in her films, also expressed concerns over the damage caused to the influencer-cum-law student's career after her arrest by Kolkata Police. 'No girl or daughter should be subjected to such high-handedness,' said Ranaut while talking to the media on the sidelines of an event in Delhi. Targeting the Trinamool government in West Bengal, the National Award-winning actress and BJP MP from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, said, 'I request the government of West Bengal not to make the state another North Korea.' 'Every citizen has democratic rights…if she made an objectionable comment, she also apologised for it later. She seems to have made the comment in a general context. Youngsters today use such language in the normal course,' she said, putting up a strong case for Sharmistha's release. Earlier, actor-cum-politician and Andhra Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan showed solidarity with Sharmistha and asked West Bengal Police to act justly. Condemning the alleged double standards of the state police on matters related to religion, Kalyan said in a post on X, 'But what about the deep, searing pain inflicted upon millions when elected leaders, MPs of TMC, mock Sanatana Dharma? Where is the outrage when our faith is called 'Gandha Dharm'? Where is their apology? Where is their swift arrest?' 'Blasphemy must be condemned, always! Secularism isn't a shield for some and a sword for others. It must be a two-way street. West Bengal Police, the nation is watching. Act justly for all,' said the BJP MP Twenty-two-year-old Sharmistha was arrested on Saturday from Gurugram in Haryana, by Kolkata Police for posting videos containing communal remarks during Operation Sindoor. Sharmistha had later deleted the video and issued a public apology. The FIR filed against her at Garden Reach Police Station on May 15 includes charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for promoting enmity on religious grounds, deliberately outraging religious feelings, and provoking a breach of peace. After her arrest, the law student was produced in court, which sent her to 14-day judicial custody.

Armed forces ‘united' by uniform' not divided by ‘religion': Delhi High Court
Armed forces ‘united' by uniform' not divided by ‘religion': Delhi High Court

Mint

time25 minutes ago

  • Mint

Armed forces ‘united' by uniform' not divided by ‘religion': Delhi High Court

The armed forces comprise of personnel of allreligions and castes, they are 'united by their uniform' and undivided by their religion, the Delhi High Court made this comment recently while upholding the termination of a Christian Indian Army Officer who refused to participate in religious parades. The termination order makes it clear that officer, Samuel Kamalesan, was resolute in his decision of not attending religious parades citing personal religious beliefs, which was corroborated by his Commanding Officer, said a division bench of Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Shalinder Kaur. It also said that Kamalesan was terminated on the basis of his conduct and its impact on military discipline and unit cohesion, rather than solelyon the Annual Confidential Report (ACR) ratings. 'Our Armed Forces comprise of personnel of allreligions, castes, creeds, regions, and faiths, whose sole motto is to safeguard the country from external aggressions, and, therefore, they are united by their uniform rather than divided by their religion, caste,or region,' the Delhi High Court said in its order. 'The Commanding Officers are to lead by example and not by division; and by placing the cohesion of the Unit above individual religious preferences, particularly when commanding troops who they will lead in combat situations and war,' the Court said. Acknowledging the dedication of military personnel who guard India's borders day and night in adverse conditions, the court said the ethos of Indian armed forces places nation before self and certainly nation before religion. Kamalesan has filed a plea in the Delhi High Court, challenging his termination order and dismissal from the Indian Army without pension and gratuity. He has also sought reinstatement in service. Kamalesan was commissioned in the Indian Army in March 2017 in the rank of a Lieutenant in the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, which comprises of 3 squadrons of Sikh, Jat, and Rajput personnel. He was appointed as the Troop Leader of Squadron B which comprises of Sikh personnel.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store