7 MPs To Take Anti-Terror Message To World, Shashi Tharoor Handed Important Responsibility
Shashi Tharoor and seven other MPs, two of them being from the Opposition, have been appointed to take India's "firm message" of zero-tolerance to terrorism to the international community.
New Delhi:
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who has been in the hot soup of his party for hailing the Centre for Operation Sindoor, will head an all-party delegation to take India’s “strong message” of zero-tolerance towards terrorism to the world.
The government appointed Mr Tharoor and six other MPs, two from the Opposition and four from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), on Saturday to undertake the big outreach exercise, following Operation Sindoor — the Indian action against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for last month’s Jammu and Kashmir terror attack.
“In times when it counts the most, Bharat stands together,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted on X.
The seven all-party delegations will visit important partner countries soon, taking India’s “collective message of zero-tolerance to terrorism” with them, he said.
“A strong symbol of national solidarity beyond politics, beyond differences,” Mr Rijiju tweeted.
Mr Tharoor, a retired diplomat, stated that he was “honoured” by the Indian government‘s invitation to head an all-party delegation to five major capitals.
“When the national interest is at stake, and my services are needed, I won’t be found wanting,” he tweeted on X.
Apart from Mr Tharoor, the Centre also selected Opposition leaders Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule.
BJP’s Baijayant Panda and Ravi Shankar Prasad, and JDU’s Sanjay Kumar Jha and Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde — both members of the ruling NDA — will head the other four delegations.
The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs stated that the delegations will meet the UN Security Council members.
These delegations will “project India’s national consensus” and “resolute approach to countering terrorism in all its forms and manifestations”, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a release on Saturday.
“They would take to the world the nation‘s robust message of zero-tolerance towards terrorism,” it added.
Leaders of BJP Nishikant Dubey, Bansuri Swaraj, Anurag Thakur, MJ Akbar, Samik Bhattacharya, Daggubati Purandeswari and SS Ahluwalia would also be part of the diplomatic exercise, sources indicated.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi, Congress leaders Salman Khurshid and Manish Tewari, Democratic Progressive Azad Party’s Ghulam Nabi Azad, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, Biju Janata Dal’s Sasmit Patra, Aam Aadmi Party’s Vikramjeet Sawhney, and Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP John Brittas are also likely to be included in the delegations.
These leaders will likely travel to various countries for 10 days.
India-Pakistan Tensions
India, following discoveries of cross-border connections with the April 22 Pahalgam terror strike that killed 26, initiated Operation Sindoor on May 7 and targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The Indian military destroyed several camps of terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen, and eliminated over 100 terrorists.
Following the overnight operations by the Indian armed forces, the Pakistani Army bombarded western regions of India with drones and missiles, which were intercepted successfully. India subsequently targeted chosen military installations deep within Pakistani borders.
The two nations signed a ceasefire deal on May 10 to end military operations with immediate effect following four days of heavy cross-border drone and missile attacks.
