Washington D.C. [United States], June 5 (ANI): Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora highlighted the deepening strategic partnership between India and the United States, underlining the shared understanding of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.

'America and India have a deep strategic partnership. Both countries have further enhanced it in the last 20 years... We are both natural allies. America also understands Pakistan-sponsored terrorism; the reason behind it is the 9/11 terror attack on the World Trade Centre - those terrorists were trained in Pakistan, and then the US launched the global war on terror. Later, Osama bin Laden was found in Pakistan... The Foreign Affairs Committee of the US have wholeheartedly supported us, they also support India's right to defend itself in case Pakistan is involved in any misadventure...' Deora said.

He further spoke about the progress in bilateral trade relations, stating, 'India and the US will reach a trade deal soon. Concerned people from both countries are in talks, and the result will come soon...'

Reflecting on counterterrorism cooperation, Deora added, '...We both understand cross-border terrorism very well. We understand Pakistan-sponsored terrorism extremely well; broadening that scope of cooperation in that area is extremely critical...'

Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading an all-party delegation to the US, explained the significance behind the name 'Operation Sindoor,' India's counter-terrorism response following the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

'Operation Sindoor, actually, I thought was a brilliantly chosen name. Sindoor, in case some Americans obviously don't know about this, is a vermilion mark that is applied to the centre of the forehead of married women in the Hindu tradition... We were very conscious of these brutal terrorists who, by the way, shot men in front of their wives and children but spared the women and when one wife screamed out, 'Kill me too,' she was told, 'No, you go back and tell them what we've done,'' Tharoor said.

He added, 'That sindoor had essentially been wiped off the foreheads of 26 Indian women... so we wanted first of all, to avenge that act of wiping off the sindoor. But, secondly, it's no accident that the colour of the sindoor is bright vermilion red, which is not far from the colour of blood, and in many ways there is a Hindi expression that 'khoon ka badla khoon'; here it was 'sindoor ka badla khoon' hoga, that is, blood in response to what they have done to the sindoor.'

Speaking on the military aspect of the conflict, Tharoor said that the Indian Armed Forces struck 11 Pakistani military airfields effectively during the operation.

'There's been craters on the runway, there have been operational command centers that have been busted by these Indian bombs, and just yesterday the Pakistanis publicly admitted that Indian strikes were so wide-ranging and effective they struck from as far as Hyderabad in South Pakistan to Peshawar in the northwest,' he added.

Tharoor emphasised that the delegation's visit to the US aims to clarify India's stance on terrorism and strengthen understanding among global stakeholders.

The all-party delegation, which arrived in the US on Wednesday, includes representatives from multiple parties and former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu. The visit follows their diplomatic outreach in Brazil and aims to highlight India's firm position against terrorism post Operation Sindoor. (ANI)