From America to Arabia: India’s high-stakes diplomatic offensive on Pakistan’s terrorism

Each delegation, led by a MP, has visited or is scheduled to visit countries including the US, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Algeria, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, Singapore, and Malaysia.

As part of a concerted diplomatic push dubbed ‘Operation Sindoor,’ multiple all-party delegations from India are traveling across the globe to rally international support against terrorism and counter misinformation surrounding India’s response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Each delegation, led by a Member of Parliament, has visited or is scheduled to visit countries including the United States, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Algeria, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, Singapore, and Malaysia.

The mission aims to highlight India’s zero-tolerance stance on terrorism, reiterate the nation’s calibrated military response to terror bases across the border, and appeal for a united global front against terror networks.

US delegation: Measured and calibrated response

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor described India’s response as “measured and calibrated,” underscoring the precision of strikes on terror hideouts. Speaking on the Pahalgam attack, he said, “It was a bunch of people going around identifying the religions of the people before them and killing them on that basis, which was clearly intended to provoke a backlash in the rest of India... India sent a clear message that it was not going to take terror lying down," during an interaction with the Indian diaspora in New York.

Tharoor also stated that the strikes were “an act of retribution” rather than the start of prolonged conflict. His delegation includes representatives from multiple parties and former Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

Bahrain Delegation: Condemning religious misuse by terrorists

BJP MP Baijayant Panda, leading this delegation, clarified India’s position as a bilateral issue with Pakistan alone, noting, “Only when Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations called India and said they want a ceasefire, we said ‘You stop shooting, we stop shooting.’”

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, also part of the delegation now in Bahrain, condemned the misuse of religion by terrorists, stating, “Islam condemns terrorism and the Quran has categorically stated that the killing of one innocent person is like the killing of whole humankind.”

Japan and South Korea delegation: Firm future stance

JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha, after visits to Japan and South Korea, stressed the precision of the Indian military’s strikes and highlighted India’s firm stance going forward, “If Pakistan does terrorist activity in future, we will not tolerate it.”

He also referred to suspending the Indus Water Treaty, quoting the Prime Minister, “Blood and water cannot flow together.”

Moscow delegation: Responsible and targeted military action

DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, speaking from Moscow, stressed India’s responsible response during ‘Operation Sindoor’, “We ensured no civilian was affected, military bases were unharmed. We only targeted the installations where terrorists were sheltered and trained.”

She also noted that attempts for peace have long been made by Indian leaders, but terrorism linked to Pakistan remains a persistent threat.

UAE Delegation: United against terrorism

In the UAE, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde delivered a strong message, “Terror and trade cannot go together, water and blood cannot flow together. If you stop terrorism, then only we can talk.”

Referring to Pakistan’s terror groups, he said, “There is no country that has not suffered the brunt of terrorism. We may be from different parties, but we are united to fight terrorism.”

Qatar, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Africa Delegation: Opposition’s united front

NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule, heading a delegation visiting Qatar, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Africa, highlighted the unity of the opposition, “The entire Opposition is together. We are with the government if it’s about national interest.”

Congress MP Manish Tewari, also part of the same group, slammed Pakistan for endosring terrorism for decades, “For the last 45 years, Pakistan has been promoting terrorism against India... training terrorists, giving them weapons and sending them across the border.”

Europe delegation: Pakistan as ‘Aatankistan’

In Europe, as part of the delegation led by BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi described Pakistan as ‘Aatankistan’, a terror state, and underscored the historical roots of terror attacks linked to it, “Operation Sindoor was a complete and final response that if you induce terror activities here, we are capable enough to destroy you.”