Indian social media users are bashing their country’s all-party diplomatic delegation which is visiting 33 countries with the aim of justifying its illegal strikes in Pakistan last month. Indian social media users say that the delegation appears more focused on personal enjoyment than on effectively presenting New Delhi’s stance on the global stage.

 

The outrage was prompted by a video of delegation head, Indian National Congress' Shashi Tharoor's video in which he appears to be singing during a private get-together. 

 

Conversely, Pakistan’s delegation, led by Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, is engaging world powers at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), highlighting India’s disinformation campaign and its attempts to destabilise regional peace in the aftermath of the recent military escalation with India.

 

Pakistan’s nine-member team includes well-known leaders such as former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar, ex-Information minister Sherry Rehman, former defence minister Khurram Dastgir Khan, and ex-foreign secretaries Jalil Abbas Jilani and Tehmina Janjua.

 

A social media user shared the video of Shashi Tharoor on X (formerly Twitter), which showed Tharoor singing a song in front of enthralled Indian diaspora members. In the caption, the user wrote, “This is the nautanki (drama) happening on tax-payers money. Shameless.”

 

 

“26 tourists have been killed in front of their wives, India has lost multiple fighter jets to Pakistan, Trump has bulldozed India’s longstanding policy to keep Kashmir a bilateral issue - But Shashi Tharoor & his delegation seem to have gone for a picnic” wrote Ashok Swain, professor at Uppsala University in Sweden.

 

 

Earlier, another video of India’s delegation member and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Rekha Sharma surfaced online where she was singing "Tu Manay Na" before at a dinner, reportedly held in Algeria.

 

“Our delegation going abroad sharpens India's foreign policy through music. Believe it or not... These people were shameless and will remain shameless,” a netizen said. Another wrote, “26 people died in Pahalgam; none of the four terrorists have been caught. And the delegation sent on a world tour to spread a message of India’s stand on terrorism is enjoying singing songs and partying on taxpayer money.”

 

 

“This is what our MPs are doing abroad. One formal speech in front of the ANI mic. Modi, Modi, Modi in front of NRIs. Sightseeing & shopping. Dinner party with the ambassador. Antakshari, Karaoke etc & enjoy. Our Tax money spent well (sic),” wrote another user.

 

“They are the parliamentary delegation sent by the Modi government to enjoy a vacation in the name of spreading message of the action of India's on Pakistan. Shamelessly singing and enjoying (sic),” one of the users wrote.