New Delhi: Opposition leaders Shashi Tharoor and Kanimozhi will join members of the ruling alliance, including Ravi Shankar Prasad and Sanjay Jha, in leading seven all-party delegations to key partner countries to convey India’s message of zero tolerance against terrorism following Operation Sindoor.
The other MPs picked by the government to present India’s “national consensus” in fighting terrorism before the world, including to UN Security Council members, are NCP-SP’s Supriya Sule, BJP’s Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda and Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde.
A statement issued by the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry on Saturday said, “The all-party delegations will project India’s national consensus and resolute approach to combating terrorism in all forms and manifestations.
“They would carry forth to the world the country’s strong message of zero tolerance against terrorism.”
Sources said the delegations will be travelling to four of the five permanent Security Council members and not visit China, which has long been a Pakistan ally.
While the delegation led by Congress MP Tharoor will visit the US, Panda’s group, which includes AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi and BJP’s Nishikant Dubey, will travel to western European countries such as the UK and France, both UNSC members.
The delegation led by DMK MP Kanimozhi will travel to Russia, another UNSC member.
The sources said the delegation led by BJP MP Prasad is expected to visit Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Algeria, while Sule’s team of MPs will be travelling to Oman, Kenya, South Africa and Egypt.
The delegation led by JD(U) MP Jha is likely to visit Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population.
Shinde’s team of parliamentarians are likely to visit some Gulf and African countries. Each delegation with six to seven MPs may visit around four to five countries, the sources said.
The government has made a careful selection of leaders who will head the delegations as they come from parties across the political divide and are considered articulate voices.
The leaders — four from the ruling National Democratic Alliance and three from the opposition INDIA bloc — include seasoned lawmakers with long stints in public life.
The Congress, however, struck a discordant note, accusing the government of “playing games” with a “mischievous mindset” by announcing names of the heads of delegations from outside the four MPs suggested by the party.
With the party leadership turning wary of Tharoor, an eloquent voice who has been one of the staunchest champions of the government’s tough response to Pakistan, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a dig at his colleague, “Congress mein hona aur Congress ka hona mein zameen-aasmaan ka antar hai (There is a difference between being in the Congress and of the Congress).”
An unfazed Tharoor said he is honoured by the government’s invitation to lead an all-party delegation to five key capitals.
He added, “When national interest is involved, and my services are required, I will not be found wanting. Jai Hind!”
The Parliamentary Affairs Ministry’s statement said distinguished diplomats, including retired foreign secretaries, will be part of each delegation.
In a post on X, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “In moments that matter most, Bharat stands united. Seven All-Party Delegations will soon visit key partner nations, carrying our shared message of zero-tolerance to terrorism.”
Sharing the ministry’s statement, he said, “A powerful reflection of national unity above politics, beyond differences.”
The statement said the proposed visits of the seven all-party delegations come in the context of Operation Sindoor and India’s continued fight against cross-border terrorism.
MPs from different parties, including Anurag Thakur, Aparajita Sarangi, Manish Tewari, Amar Singh, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Samik Bhattacharya, Brij Lal, Sarfaraz Ahmad, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Vikramjit Sawhney, Sasmit Patra and Bhubaneswar Kalita, will be part of these delegations, sources have said.
The government also tapped Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay to join the exercise but he declined due to health reasons.
The expansive diplomatic drive is aimed at driving home in global capitals India’s stand following the country’s aggressive response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 civilians dead, amid Pakistan’s efforts to skirt the issue of terrorism while putting Kashmir at the centre of its discourse.
Shinde said on X, “We will firmly convey to the international community that terrorism has no place in India, and that it is Pakistan which continues to nurture terrorism on its own soil. When it comes to matters of national interest, there is no division, only duty.”
Pakistan with its long history of sponsoring terrorism has become a threat to humanity, Owaisi told PTI videos, affirming that this will be the heart of his message to the international community.
The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that any future act of terror will be construed as an act of war, signalling India’s resolve to target Pakistan if it continues to abet terrorism on Indian territory.
India has also insisted that it has merely paused Operation Sindoor following days of conflict with Pakistan and its actions will depend on the neighbouring country’s conduct.
