May 20, 2025 : Congress MP and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor, emphasized the Rafale fighter jets as a symbol of the growing Indo-French strategic relationship during a meeting with a visiting French delegation.
Tharoor stated that the interaction reflected strong political, economic, strategic, and military ties between India and France, and acknowledged the French delegation’s support for India following the recent Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent Operation Sindoor.
“We had a very strong and positive discussion on the strength of the Indo-French bilateral relationship… and also talked positively about the horizon for the future. The French visitors expressed strong support for India’s position in the wake of the recent terrorist attack and our actions that followed,” Tharoor told.
He also noted that BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is set to lead one of India’s international delegations, praised Rafale as a symbol of close collaboration between India and France, although no detailed discussions on military operations took place during the meeting.
Ravi Shankar Prasad has pledged to raise India’s concerns about cross-border terrorism effectively on the global stage, as part of the government’s diplomatic push following Operation Sindoor. The mission aims to project India’s zero-tolerance stance on terrorism internationally.
In a bid to consolidate international support, seven all-party delegations comprising MPs, diplomats, and prominent political leaders are scheduled to visit key global partners, including UN Security Council member countries.
The delegations will be led by:
- Shashi Tharoor (INC)
- Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP)
- Baijayant Panda (BJP)
- Sanjay Kumar Jha (JD-U)
- Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (DMK)
- Supriya Sule (NCP)
- Srikant Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena)
These visits follow India’s Operation Sindoor on May 7, a precision military operation in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians. The operation included targeted strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). India also retaliated effectively to subsequent Pakistani aggression.
Following the strikes, ceasefire discussions resumed, and a temporary understanding to halt military actions was reportedly reached after a call between the DGMOs of both nations.