‘Will strike decisively at terrorist hideouts’
Singapore/Paris/Kinshasa: All-party parliamentary delegations on Tuesday made it clear that India will not tolerate any nuclear blackmail and will strike precisely and decisively at the terrorist hideouts developing under the cover of nuclear blackmail.
During a meeting with Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs Sim Ann in Singapore, the Indian delegation led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha conveyed that if there is a terrorist attack on India, New Delhi will give a fitting reply.
“India will not tolerate any nuclear blackmail. India will strike precisely and decisively at the terrorist hideouts developing under the cover of nuclear blackmail. India will not differentiate between the government sponsoring terrorism and the masterminds of terrorism,” it said.
Sim conveyed that Singapore strongly condemns all acts of terrorism and stands with India against terrorism, the High Commission of India in Singapore said in a statement.
The delegation also called on Minister of Law and Second Minister of Home Affairs Edwin Tong and discussed the new normal in India’s policy against terrorism.
The delegation requested Singapore’s support in the fight against terrorism, particularly at multilateral fora like the UN and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, the statement said.
In Paris, the delegation headed by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad met French Parliamentarians led by Thierry Tesson, the president of the India-France Friendship group, and conveyed India’s zero-tolerance stance against terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
“Parliamentarians reaffirmed strong ties and voiced united support for India’s fight against terrorism,” the Embassy of India in France said in a post on X.
“Great to see #TeamIndia sending across a message of resolve and unity against terrorism,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in a post on X.
During a press conference in Paris, Prasad said the distinction between the state of Pakistan and terrorism has now withered away.
“Terrorism as an instrument of state policy is a part of the military state of Pakistan. There is no democracy there and the most hilarious aspect was that the general whose forces were defeated at the hands of India, decisively, got promoted to Field Marshal. This is their state of denial, always,” Prasad said.
The delegation presented photographic evidence of Pakistani military officials attending the funerals of terrorists and flagged how 52 UN-designated terrorist organisations found a safe harbour by Pakistan.
Former Union minister M J Akbar asserted India’s clear and thought-through “no first use” doctrine on nuclear weapons.
Addressing a gathering of community leaders in Paris a day earlier, Prasad urged them to make every effort to showcase Brand India as a beacon of peace that is fighting against the global curse of terrorism.
“And if a question is asked of you (diaspora) that the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) had said this is not the era of war – then it is also not the era of terrorism. Terrorism is a global curse, a global cancer, killing civilised society,” he added.
In Kinshasa, the DR Congo leaders expressed their commitment to combat the global threat of terrorism and evinced keen interest in working closely with India.
The all-party delegation, led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, met Deputy Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, National Assembly Speaker Vital Kamerhe Lwa Kanyiginyi Nkingi and Senate President JeanMichel Sama Lukonde Kyenge on Monday.
During the meetings, the Congolese dignitaries condemned the acts of terrorism and emphasised that they cannot be justified under any circumstances, the Embassy of India in Kinshasa said in a press release.
In a special gesture, President of the Foreign Affairs Commission of National Assembly Berthold Ulungu and its members observe a moment of silence for victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
State Minister of Foreign Affairs Therese “conveyed her country’s support for India’s fight against terrorism and assured that her country stands ready to echo India’s message against terrorism at all international fora, where the Democratic Republic of Congo is a member,” the release said.
In Slovenia, the all-party delegation led by DMK MP Kanimozhi called on Marko Lotric, President of the National Council of Slovenia, and conveyed India’s resolute stance of zero tolerance towards terrorism and the new normal after Operation Sindoor.
The delegation’s visit highlighted India’s new normal of zero tolerance against cross-border terrorism and strengthened the shared commitment of India and Slovenia to join hands in ending the scourge of terrorism worldwide, the Embassy of India in Ljubljana said.
The delegation also held a wide-ranging and comprehensive interaction with the President and members of the Slovenian Association for International Relations, a forum of former Ambassadors and senior foreign policy professionals.
In Kuwait City, the all-party team led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda undertook a series of media engagements and cultural visits on its concluding day, aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and highlighting India’s united stance against terrorism.
The delegation also visited the exhibition ‘Rihla-e-Dosti: 250 Years of India-Kuwait Friendship’, which featured a rich display of rare manuscripts, ancient books, historical coins, and cultural artefacts from the two countries, an official release said.
In Saudi Arabia, an all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Jay Panda arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday. During the visit, the delegation will interact with a cross-section of political dignitaries, government officials, thought leaders and members of the Indian community.
In Panama City, the all-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor reached on Tuesday to convey India’s strong message of zero-tolerance for terrorism.
Another all-party delegation led by NCP MP Supriya Sule arrived in Johannesburg on Tuesday. The team is travelling to Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town to hold interactions with South African leaders, members of media, academia and others.
As part of India’s diplomatic outreach, seven multi-party delegations are travelling to 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community on Pakistan’s designs and India’s response to terror, especially in view of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7 under Operation Sindoor, following which Pakistan attempted to attack the Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10. The Indian side responded strongly to the Pakistani actions.
