New Delhi/IBNS: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is currently heading a delegation on Operation Sindoor to different countries, has snubbed his party's dig at him over his certain claims on Indian Army's valour abroad.

During an address in Panama, Tharoor cited the surgical strike after the Uri attack in 2016 as the first instance when the Army breached the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan.

The Congress leader said, "What has changed in recent years is that the terrorists have also realised they will have a price to pay, on that, let there be no doubt. When, for the first time, India breached the Line of Control between India and Pakistan to conduct a surgical strike on a terror base, a launch pad - the Uri strike in September 2015.

"That was already something we had not done before. Even during the Kargil War, we had not crossed the Line of Control; in Uri, we did, and then came the attack in Pulwama in January 2019. This time, we crossed not only the Line of Control but also the international border, and we struck the terrorist headquarters in Balakot. This time, we have gone beyond both of those."

"We have not only gone beyond the Line of Control and the international border. We have struck at the Punjabi heartland of Pakistan by hitting terror bases, training centres, terror headquarters in nine places."

The Congress, which had not recommended Tharoor's name to head any all-party delegations, has slammed its own leader and called him the "super spokesperson" of the country's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that is spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congress leader Udit Raj wrote on X, "My dear @ShashiTharoor. Alas ! I could prevail upon PM Modi to declare you as super spokesperson of BJP , even declaring as foreign minister before landing in India . How could you denigrate the golden history of Congress by saying that before PM Modi , India never crossed LOC and International border.

"In 1965 Indian Army entered Pakistan at multiple points, which completely surprised the Pakistanis in the Lahore sector. In 1971 , India tore Pakistan in two pieces and during UPA Govt several surgical strikes were unleashed but drum beating was not done to encash politically . How could you be so dishonest to the party which gave you so much?"

Shortly after Tharoor praised India's retaliatory strikes since 2016, his party colleague Pawan Khera tagged him in a video in which former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says that many surgical strikes were conducted during the UPA era.

While Khera just added a "CC" to refer to Tharoor, the message was clear that the Congress is not happy.

Tharoor, who has been praising Modi's foreign policies of late, had defended the government on the question of an intelligence failure in Pahalgam where the terror attack took place on April 22.

Though the Operation Sindoor was hailed by the Opposition bloc INDIA, the ceasefire deal between India and Pakistan was widely jibed by the Congress with its social handles comparing Modi with his predecessor late Indira Gandhi who defied the United States' objection to liberate East Pakistan and form Bangladesh with a war in 1971.

Going against the Congress' stand, Tharoor said, "The truth is the circumstances of 1971 and 2025 are not the same. As far as I am concerned, I believe the people of India deserve peace, we have suffered a lot, had a lot of casualties... I am not saying we should always stop wars when there are reasons to continue but this was not a war we intended to continue. We just wanted to teach the terrorists a lesson..."

Some reports suggested that some Congress leaders, during the CWC meeting held earlier this month, alleged that Tharoor had crossed the 'Laxman Rekha' with his statements.

The phrase "Lakshman Rekha", borrowed from the Ramayana, is often used metaphorically to indicate a boundary that should not be crossed.

However, Tharoor had clarified he made the statement in a personal capacity.

"People seem to think that I have some knowledge, so they come and ask my views. But I have made it very clear, sometimes explicitly and sometimes implicitly, that I am expressing my personal views as an Indian and as a proud citizen," Tharoor said.