India Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor, considered one of the stalwarts of Congress, said on Thursday that India was “a little disappointed” with the Colombian government after it expressed condolences on the loss of lives in India's attack on Pakistan last month.

 

“We were a little disappointed in the reaction of the Colombian government, which apparently expressed heartfelt condolences on the loss of lives in Pakistan after the Indian strikes, rather than sympathising with the victims of terrorism,” he said while addressing the media in Bogota, Colombia. 

 

“We will say to our friends in Colombia, there can be no equivalence between those who dispatch terrorists and those who resist them. There can be no equivalence between those who attack and those who defend,” he said.

 

Tharoor further said that New Delhi is exercising its right of self-defence, adding, “If there is any misunderstanding here, on this core, we are here to dispel any such misunderstanding.”

 

The Colombian government had offered condolences to Pakistan over the civilian deaths in the Indian strikes in multiple cities in Pakistan, including Bahawalpur and Muridke, on the night between May 6 and 7.

 

In response to India's cowardly missile attack, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) reacted swiftly, downing multiple Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets, including three 4.5-generation Rafales.

 

Tharoor is currently leading a multi-party delegation to Guyana, Panama, Colombia, Brazil, and the United States after New Delhi faced humiliation when no country supported India's aggression against Pakistan.

 

On the other side, Turkey, China and Azerbaijan came out openly in support of defending Pakistan's territorial integrity and sovereignty.