As anger mounts across India following the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 civilians dead, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Sunday that a visible military response against Pakistan now appears inevitable.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Tharoor described a consistent pattern over the past 25 years where Pakistan-backed terrorists cross into India to carry out attacks, only for Islamabad to deny any involvement.

"It’s a well-established pattern. Individuals are encouraged, trained, armed, and directed from across the border. Later, Pakistan denies any role. Yet, over time, both Indian and foreign intelligence agencies confirm the involvement," Tharoor said.

Referring to past Indian responses, the Congress leader noted that surgical strikes were carried out after the Uri attacks in 2016, and airstrikes hit Balakot following the Pulwama attack in 2019. This time, he suggested, India’s response might be even stronger.

"After Uri, there were surgical strikes. After Pulwama, we saw the Balakot air strikes. Today, the government has several tools at its disposal — diplomatic, economic, intelligence-driven, covert, and overt military action. Given the public mood, some form of visible military action is unavoidable," said the MP from Thiruvananthapuram.

"The entire nation expects it. We don't know the timing, the form, or the location yet, but I am convinced a response is coming," he added.

Tharoor also reacted to Pakistan People's Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s "blood will flow" comment following India’s decision to revoke the Indus Waters Treaty.

"Such inflammatory statements serve no purpose," Tharoor said. "Pakistan must realize it cannot keep spilling Indian blood without consequences. We have no interest in harming Pakistanis, but if they continue targeting Indians, they should be prepared. If blood must flow, it may well be theirs."

Tuesday’s massacre in the picturesque Baisaran meadows near Pahalgam — often dubbed "Mini Switzerland" — marked the deadliest attack in Kashmir since the 2019 abrogation of Article 370. Evidence points to the involvement of a group linked to the banned Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Following the attack, relations between India and Pakistan have deteriorated sharply. Both countries have canceled visa arrangements and scaled down diplomatic ties. Border tensions have also flared, with reports of frequent ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control.

In a significant move, India has terminated the Indus Waters Treaty, while Pakistan responded by suspending all bilateral agreements, including the historic Simla Accord. Islamabad, long accused of being a "global hub of terrorism," faces mounting international pressure as well.