India, June 5 -- Shashi Tharoor of the Congress on Wednesday said India's code name for the military response to Pakistan, 'Operation Sindoor', was "brilliantly chosen", while adding that the vermilion's colour was not very far from blood.

In an interaction at the National Press Club in Washington DC, Shashi Tharoor used the popular Indian phrase 'khoon ka badla khoon', while saying that this time it was "sindoor ka badla khoon".

While explaining the meaning of sindoor, Tharoor said, "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. It's widely practised."

"Some non-Hindus do it too, but more for decorative purpose...