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Indian Express
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Shashi Tharoor's ‘Osama episode' reminder for Americans after Trump-Munir lunch meet
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday reacted to American President Donald Trump hosting Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir for lunch, remarking that the 'people in US could not have forgotten the Osama episode so quickly'. The Chairman of the External Affairs Committee of the Parliament was referring to the Al-Qaeda leader who was the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers. US Navy SEALs killed Osama on May 2, 2011, after raiding a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan that was reported to be in close vicinity of the Pakistan Military Academy. Hoping the Pakistan military official got 'some food for thought,' the Thiruvananthapuram MP told reporters: 'I hope that in these interactions, the Americans reminded Pakistan of not enabling, guiding, training, arming, financing, equipping, and dispatching terrorists to our country from their soil. Some American Senators and Congressmen who met the Pakistani delegation did do this'. Tharoor was part of the Indian delegation that travelled to the US, Panama, Guyana, Brazil and Colombia to explain India's position on Operation Sindoor, which was launched in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. 'People in the US could not have forgotten the Osama episode so quickly… Pakistan's culpability in hiding this man until he was finally found in a safe house near an Army camp can not easily be forgotten and forgiven by the Americans. I hope while the General was being wined and dined, he got all these messages at the same time because that would also be in America's interest,' Tharoor said. #WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | On US President Donald Trump's lunch meeting with Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, 'I hope the food was good and he gets some food for thought in the process. I hope that in these interactions, the Americans… — ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2025 Speaking hours ahead of his lunch meeting with Munir, Trump lauded the role of the Pakistan Army Chief, a five-star general, in 'stopping the war'. Repeating his claim that he stopped the war between India and Pakistan, Trump said: 'I stopped the war between India and Pakistan. I love Pakistan, and Modi is a fantastic man…This man (Asim Munir) was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistani side and PM Modi from the Indian side. They (India and Pakistan) were going at it, and both are nuclear countries. I stopped a war between two major nations.' India has repeatedly countered Trump's statements and underlined that the cessation of hostilities was a bilateral decision. Hours before Trump's latest comments, Modi told the US President over a call that there was 'no proposal' for US mediation and 'no mention' of any India-US trade deal during the conversation. 'The discussion to cease military action took place directly between India and Pakistan through the existing channels of communication between the two armed forces, and it was initiated at Pakistan's request,' Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a briefing. 'Prime Minister Modi firmly stated that India does not and will never accept mediation. There is complete political consensus in India on this matter.'
New Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Shashi Tharoor says he has differences of opinion with some in Congress leadership
He did not clarify whether his differences of opinion were with the national or state leadership. The Thiruvananthapuram MP indicated that he might talk about those differences after the bypoll results. When asked why he was not part of the bypoll campaign, Tharoor said that he was not invited for it as was the practice during the other byelections, including the one in Wayanad held last year. "I do not go where I am not invited," he said, but added that he wants the party workers' campaign efforts to bear fruit and the UDF candidate to win from Nilambur. Regarding his recent talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tharoor said it was regarding the delegations' visits to various countries in connection with Operation Sindoor and the discussions held there. "No domestic politics were discussed," he said. Defending his decision to accept the Centre's invite to head one of the delegations, he said that when he became the chairman of the External Affairs Committee of the Parliament, he had made it clear that he was focused on India's foreign policy and its national interest and not the foreign policy of the Congress and BJP. "I have not changed my line. When an issue concerning the nation comes up, we are all obligated to work and speak for the country. What I said during Operation Sindoor was my own opinion. "The Centre asked for my services. Indeed, my party did not. So, I proudly did my duty as an Indian citizen," he said.
