To showcase cross-party solidarity, the Indian government today announced seven multi-party parliamentary delegations set to tour key countries under “Operation Sindoor,” the mission to expose Pakistan’s state-sponsored terrorism on the global stage.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju released the roster of 63 Members of Parliament representing every major party, declaring their unified purpose: “One mission. One message. One Bharat.” In a post on X, he emphasised that the delegations will “engage key nations under Operation Sindoor, reflecting our collective resolve against terrorism.”
The trips will take place over the next fortnight, with each delegation led by a senior MP and tasked with meeting heads of state, foreign ministers, think-tanks, and diaspora groups to highlight India’s zero-tolerance policy on terror. The visits follow India’s precision strikes on terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir on May 7, conducted in retaliation for the Pahalgam massacre on April 22.
Delegations and Destinations
- Group 1 (Middle East & North Africa)
- Leader: BJP MP Baijayant Panda
- Countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Algeria
- Members include: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, former J&K CM Ghulam Nabi Azad, ex-Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla
- Group 2 (Europe I)
- Leader: BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad
- Countries: UK, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark
- Members include: Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi, Congress’s Amar Singh, ex-MEA Minister M.J. Akbar
- Group 3 (East & Southeast Asia)
- Leader: JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha
- Countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Singapore
- Members include: Trinamool’s Yusuf Pathan, CPI(M)’s John Brittas, ex-External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid
- Group 4 (Gulf & Africa I)
- Leader: Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde
- Countries: UAE, Liberia, Congo, Sierra Leone
- Members include: BJD’s Sasmit Patra, IUML MP M. Basheer, former diplomat Sujan Chinoy
- Group 5 (Americas)
- Leader: Congress’s Shashi Tharoor
- Countries: USA, Panama, Guyana, Brazil, Colombia
- Members include: BJP’s Tejasvi Surya, Shiv Sena’s Milind Deora, ex-Ambassador to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu
- Group 6 (Europe II)
- Leader: DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi
- Countries: Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Latvia, Russia
- Members include: AAP’s Ashok Kumar Mittal, RJD’s Prem Chand Gupta, former diplomat Jawed Ashraf
- Group 7 (Gulf & Africa II)
- Leader: NCP MP Supriya Sule
- Countries: Egypt, Qatar, Ethiopia, South Africa
- Members include: Congress’s Manish Tewari, BJP’s Anurag Thakur, ex-UN envoy Syed Akbaruddin
A united front
Mr. Rijiju stressed the importance of bipartisanship in confronting terrorism:
“Our delegations carry a singular, unequivocal message:
India stands united against the scourge of terror. We will not waver or cower under threats.”
He noted that the strikes under Operation Sindoor had already demonstrated India’s resolve. By dispatching parliamentary envoys from across the political spectrum, New Delhi aims to reinforce that message internationally and to counter Pakistan’s propaganda campaigns.
Operation Sindoor background
Launched on May 7, Operation Sindoor targeted nine terror camps linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. India’s coordinated air and drone strikes eliminated over 100 militants and damaged military infrastructure at 11 Pakistani airbases. Pakistan retaliated with artillery fire and attempted drone incursions before both sides agreed to a cessation of hostilities on May 10.
The Indian delegations will depart over the coming days, holding high-level talks and press events to publicise evidence of Pakistan’s support for terrorism. Each group will return with reports on international responses and opportunities to deepen defence, intelligence, and counter-terror cooperation.
As the nation watches, India’s parliamentarians will seek to ensure the world hears one harmonious refrain: there can be no compromise with terror.
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