Two multi-party delegations set out for different global capitals on Wednesday (May 21) in a significant diplomatic outreach related to India’s Operation Sindoor. They will present the country’s united stance on cross-border terrorism, with a focus on Pakistan.
One team, led by the Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Jha, is bound for Japan, while the second one, under Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, is headed for the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Before their departure, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefed the delegates on India’s stance on terror and Pakistani engagement with it, most recently in the April 22 Pahalgam massacre which killed 26 civilians.
“Our message to world leaders will be that India has decided ‘enough is enough’ and that Pakistan has acted like a thief asked to probe his own crime whenever India has in the past trusted its words on acting against terrorism,” Jha told reporters after the meeting.
East Asia
Jha’s team will travel to five Asian nations, including Japan on May 22, South Korea (May 24), Singapore (May 27), Indonesia (May 28) and Malaysia (May 31).
The delegation includes representatives of different political parties: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs Aparajita Sarangi, Brij Lal, Pradan Baruah, and Hemang Joshi are joined by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee, Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] MP John Brittas, and Congress veteran Salman Khurshid along with former diplomat Mohan Kumar.
Read more: 7 delegations, 1 mission: India launches global diplomatic blitz to expose Pakistan’s terror links
2nd delegation heads to UAE and Africa
The second delegation, led by Sena’s Shrikant Shinde, will cover the UAE (May 21), the Democratic Republic of Congo (May 24), Sierra Leone (May 28), and Liberia (May 31)
IT Includes BJP MPS Bansuri Swaraj, Atul Garg, Manan Kumar Mishra, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Sasmit Patra, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MP Et Mohammed Bashir, SS AHLUWALIA, SS AHLUWALIA, And Ambassador Sujan Chinoy.
Read more: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefs parliamentary delegations ahead of their visits abroad
Shinde told reporters that the team aims to underscore “Pakistan’s links to terror incidents in India and present evidence linking the country to these horrific crimes against humanity not only in India but also abroad.”
Coordinated diplomacy across the globe
Seven multi-party delegations will travel to 32 foreign capitals and the European Union in the coming days. Their goal is to engage with ministers, lawmakers, think tanks, and media to convey India’s unified stand on terrorism.
India launched targeted and strategic strikes on nine terrorist base camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the early hours on May 7, in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam attack. The Pakistan military retaliated by launching missile and drone attacks, escalating the conflict.
The military operations ended with a ceasefire ‘understanding’ between the director generals of military operations (DGMOs) of both the countries on May 10.
The delegations will represent India as showing rare political unity, reinforcing India’s message of “zero tolerance” towards terrorism.
Read more: ‘I will not be found wanting’: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on key role in India’s diplomatic outreach
