Shashi Tharoor lauds PM Modi's address on Operation Sindoor, says he handled crisis 'extremely well'

"It is certainly always needed (PM address). It is the duty of our Prime Minister to speak to his people from time to time. He does his monthly broadcast, Mann Ki Baat, which is not urgent and critical stuff. It's more selective in general," Tharoor told NDTV on Tuesday.

"I think coming on television, looking the nation square in the eye and talking about big issues on top of their minds is always important, whether it was Covid or whether it is war. We needed him to do that. So I am glad he did it," he said.

Lauding Operation Sindoor, which was carried out in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, the Congress said: "I have no doubts that a meticulously planned operation like this came out of a sophisticated military headquarters. It's not some random, crazy doing something."

"The overall crisis was handled extremely well. I have gone on record saying that Operation Sindoor, from the naming to the presentation to the conduct, everything I give full marks to," Tharoor said.

On the Opposition's claims that the Prime Minister's speech wasn't sufficient and failed to address misinformation by Pakistan, Tharoor told NDTV: "I don't think he particularly addressed the other people's (Pakistan) narrative at all. He talked about what we were trying to do, what we believe we accomplished and how determined we are in the future. That message is good."

"There are people below his (PM Modi's) level who should be doing that (tackling misinformation)... if there are media organisations that are willing to give us the time and space to be heard, we should leap on to those because we cannot entirely rely on the fact that we issued the right statements from here, (but) are people really hearing them in their own countries, in their own languages, in their own TV stations? These are important issues," he said.

PM's address on Operation Sindoor

In a bold address to the nation, his first one after Operation Sindoor, PM Modi had sent out a loud message against terrorism and "terror-backing state" Pakistan, stating that India will not tolerate any such misadventure or give in to nuclear blackmailing, and instead deliver a befitting reply in its own terms.

Stating that India will continue its action against terrorism, Modi had said, "Our aim was clear: On May 6-7, we hit terror hideouts, their training centres, and terror camps in Pakistan. These terrorists had never imagined that India was capable of taking such bold and strong actions against them."

The Indian Prime Minister had slammed Pakistan directly for sheltering terrorists and said, "These terrorists have been sheltered in Pakistan, and the country went into a deep state of shock after India's action on terrorism on their land."

PM Modi said Operation Sindoor has redefined the fight against terror, setting a new benchmark and a new normal.

Reiterating that India has zero tolerance against terrorism, Modi had said, "Our fight against terrorism is not over. We have just paused our action for now and we will measure every move taken by Pakistan to deal with them in the future."

"Operation Sindoor has scripted a new normal that India will give a befitting reply to terrorism if we are attacked. We will strike at those places from where terrorism originates," he said.