Congress MP Shashi Tharoor cheering the BJP-led dispensation is not a common sight. Yet, this is what unfolded when Tharoor commended not only the execution of ‘Operation Sindoor’, but also praised its name and symbolic imagery.

In response to a post on X speculating about a possible acronym for the operation, Tharoor wrote, “Clever, esp given the government’s penchant for creative acronyms! But jokes apart, #OperationSindoor is a brilliant name. It evokes the image, seared into our national consciousness, of the newly-widowed bride, kneeling and weeping by the side of her assassinated husband of six days in Pahalgam – the entire reason why Operation #Sindoor was necessary. The fact that sindoor is blood red also sends a telling message. Shabash to whoever thought of it!”

The post he was responding to claimed, “From a senior journalist who does not wish to be identified: I could have sworn ‘Sindoor’ stands for Strategic Initiative for Neutralizing Destructive Opponents with Overwhelming Retaliation.”

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The strikes, launched at approximately 1am on Wednesday, targeted nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in a swift, 25-minute assault. According to Indian military officials, the operation marked the most extensive cross-border action since Balakot, employing air, naval, and ground-based capabilities.

Carried out in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, the government stated the mission was executed with precision, under the cover of darkness, and with a deliberate emphasis on avoiding escalation.