Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor, sharply criticised US President Donald Trump’s recent comments on the India-Pakistan ceasefire, accusing the US leader of undermining India’s position on the sensitive Kashmir issue. In a detailed statement, Tharoor outlined four major concerns with Trump’s remarks, which he described as “disappointing” and detrimental to India’s diplomatic and security interests.
Tharoor’s critique comes in the wake of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, following India’s decisive military operation, Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror bases deep inside Pakistani territory and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The operation was launched in retaliation for the Pahalgam carnage, a terrorist attack that prompted India to dismantle Pakistan’s terror infrastructure. After four days of intense military engagement, Pakistan, facing significant losses to its military and air force installations, called for a stoppage of firing, which it subsequently violated.
False Equivalence Between Victim and Perpetrator
Firstly, Tharoor argued that Trump’s statement creates a false equivalence between India, the victim, and Pakistan, the perpetrator. He pointed out that the US has historically maintained a firm stance against Pakistan’s documented support for cross-border terrorism, and Trump’s remarks appeared to overlook this history.
“Mr. Trump’s post is disappointing for India in four important ways: First, it implies a false equivalence between the victim and the perpetrator, and seemingly overlooks the US’s own past unwavering stance against Pakistan’s well-documented links to cross-border terrorism,” Tharoor said in a statement posted on X.
The Congress leader emphasised that the US has historically condemned Pakistan’s role in fostering terrorism, making Trump’s remarks a departure from established American policy. By equating India’s defensive actions with Pakistan’s aggressive posturing, Tharoor argued, Trump risks diluting the international community’s understanding of the issue.
Mr Trump’s post is disappointing for India in four important ways: First, it implies a false equivalence between the victim and the perpetrator, and seemingly overlooks the US’ own past unwavering stance against Pakistan’s well-documented links to cross-border terrorism. Second,… https://t.co/Za5cvwq82M
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 12, 2025
Offering Pakistan an Undeserved Platform
Tharoor’s second point of contention was Trump’s suggestion that Pakistan deserves a negotiating platform, a notion India has consistently rejected. India has maintained a firm policy of refusing to engage in dialogue with Pakistan under the shadow of terrorism.
“Second, it offers Pakistan a negotiating framework which it certainly has not earned. India will never negotiate with a terrorist gun pointed at its head,” Tharoor declared, reinforcing India’s resolute stance.
This sentiment was echoed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, in his first public remarks following Operation Sindoor, vowed that Indian armed forces remain ready to strike Pakistan’s terror hideouts if they become active again. Modi’s statement underscored India’s commitment to a zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism, further highlighting the disconnect between Trump’s comments and India’s position.
Internationalising the Kashmir Issue
Tharoor also condemned Trump for “internationalising” the Kashmir dispute, an outcome he said aligns with the objectives of terrorists seeking global attention. Trump’s remarks suggested that Kashmir is a long-standing “issue” dating back “thousands of years,” a characterisation that Tharoor dismissed as historically inaccurate. He pointed out that Pakistan has sought to destabilise the Kashmir valley since the Partition of India in 1947, and India views the matter as an internal affair, not an international dispute.
“Third, it ‘internationalises’ the Kashmir dispute, an obvious objective of the terrorists. India rejects the idea of a dispute and sees the problem as an internal affair of India’s. India has never requested, nor is likely to seek, any foreign country’s mediation over its problems with Pakistan,” Tharoor stated. India has consistently opposed third-party mediation on Kashmir, maintaining that any discussions with Pakistan must be bilateral and free from external influence.
Re-Hyphenating India and Pakistan
Finally, Tharoor criticised Trump for “re-hyphenating” India and Pakistan, a diplomatic setback that reverses decades of efforts to delink the two nations in global discourse. Since 2000, world leaders, including US presidents, have been encouraged to avoid clubbing visits to India and Pakistan, with President Bill Clinton being the last to do so. Tharoor described Trump’s comments as a “major backward step” in this regard.
“And fourth, it ‘re-hyphenates’ India and Pakistan in the global imagination. For decades now, world leaders had been encouraged not to club their visits to India with visits to Pakistan, and starting with President Clinton in 2000, no US President had done so. This is a major backward step,” Tharoor posted on X.
Trump’s Claims and India’s Response
Trump’s remarks, which claimed credit for brokering the so-called ceasefire (in this case, stoppage of firing), also suggested that trade negotiations and US leverage played a significant role in de-escalating tensions. “They were going at it hot and heavy, and it was seemingly not going to stop… we helped a lot, and we also helped with trade,” Trump said, adding that his administration’s influence through trade prompted both nations to halt hostilities.
India, however, has maintained that the discussions were conducted bilaterally, dismissing Trump’s claims of US mediation. Official sources in New Delhi reiterated that India’s actions, including Operation Sindoor, were driven by national security imperatives and not influenced by external pressures.
