Moving forward with a diplomatic outreach, the Indian government continues to voice its stance against terrorism after launching Operation Sindoor on May 7. Seven all-party delegations of Members of Parliament undertook journeys to key global destinations starting last week. A total of 51 political leaders, with delegations led by BJP’s Baijayant Panda and Ravi Shankar Prasad, Shashi Tharoor of Congress, JDU’s Sanjay Kumar Jha, Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Eknath Shinde, DMK’s Kanimozhi Karunaidhi, and NCP-SP’s Supriya Sule.

Amid the 10-day Operation Sindoor outreach expressing the all-party delegations’ representing a united front against terrorism, political leaders have already sounded off their firm declarations on the matter.

Operation Sindoor outreach: Indian leaders react

Asaduddin Owaisi: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen President Asaduddin Owaisi doubled down on his take against the Pakistan-sponsored April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The member of the all-party delegation, said during his visit to Bahrain that regardless of religious differences in the country, we must stand united with the ruling government in the fight against terror.

“Defending the country is always a priority, irrespective of whether one is Hindu, Muslim, or Christian. We have our own problems in India – that’s a separate issue we continue to fight for,” he told PTI. “But when representing the country at a crucial time, especially after the attack in Pahalgam and subsequent developments, we must support the government. We oppose their ideology and do not support them politically, but here, we are representing the nation.”

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He then resorted to comparing Pakistan to UN-designated terrorist organisation ISIS. Noting uncanny similarities in the group’s attack on innocent lives and the Pahalgam tragedy, he said, “The world has seen how ISIS had killed people by asking them their names, by recording their brutal killings. They did the same thing in Pahalgam.”

Owaisi also condemned ISIS for smearing the holy name of Islam, arguing that the ISIS not only target non-Muslims, but also fellow Muslims. “These terrorists are cowards, who are using holy name of Islam to justify their killings. The whole world knows… Islam came to destroy terrorism forever… The Holy Prophet said there is no difference between Arab and non-Arab… between Black and White. He said treat your women well… These people have gone outside of Islam, but unfortunately they’re using religion.”

He went on to say that Muslims have rejected these people for the same reason. “They are terrorist organisation sponsored by Pakistan, trained by Pakistan, aided and abetted by Pakistan.

Shashi Tharoor: Leading another delegation in the United States, the Congress leader applauded the ruling Indian government’s “hit hard and smart” strategic decision of launching Operation Sindoor against Pakistan after the April 22 terror attack. Praising the precision strikes on Pakistan-based terror infrastructures, he said, “I don’t work for the government, as you know. I work for an opposition party. I myself authored an op-ed saying the time has come to hit hard but hit smart. I’m pleased to say that’s exactly what India did.”

Asserting that it was time to set a “new bottom line” while dealing with Pakistan, he added, “We have tried everything – international dossiers, complaints, everything has been tried.” Tharoor noted that meanwhile Pakistan had delivered “no convictions, no serious criminal prosecutions, and no genuine attempt to dismantle” its terror camps. “The persistence of safe havens… you (Pakistan) do this, you are going to get this back.”

In the same breath, the Congress-affiliated politician maintained that India had no war-seeking plans against the neighbouring nation. “We are not interested in warfare. We would much rather be left alone to grown our economy and pull our people into the world they are getting ready for in the 21st century.”

Prior to hailing Op Sindoor, he took aim at Kerala’s Rs 10 crore earthquake aid to Turkey in light of the nation’s pro-Pakistan stand. “I hope the Govt of Kerala reflects on its misplaced generosity, after seeing Turkey’s behaviour two years later! Not to mention that the people of Wayanad (just to take one Kerala example) could have used those ten crores far better,” he wrote on X.

Consequently, CPM’s John Brittas defended the Indian state, saying, “Hve great regards for Shashi Tharoor. But these comments are symptoms of selective amnesia.” He further argued that ‘Operation Dost’ was launched by the Modi government to help Turkey amid the 2023 earthquake, calling Tharoor’s take on the issue “unwarranted.”

Salman Khurshid: Tharoor’s fellow Congress-ite was a member of the multi-party delegation headed for the South Korean capital Seoul. Addressing Indian diaspora abroad, Salman Khurshid praised Operation Sindoor as a symbolic representation of India’s growing economic status.

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“The message to the world is that India is in a different league today. They see us as a country that’s emerging as a top country globally,” he said, as per ANI. Moreover, he doubled down on India’s defensive strategy, positioning Pakistan as the first one to launch an unwarranted terror attack.

“We don’t do things to hurt somebody, we only do things to defend ourselves. First reaction that the world gave to us was, that India has the right to defend itself.”

He continued to reiterate that India’s Op Sindoor did not target any civilian area, as only terrorist camps were aimed at. “If they didn’t attack us back, we would have stopped there, but they did attack us back, and when they attacked us… what did we do? We neutralised the platforms they were using to attack us… That sent the message clearly to them that you can’t take India on, and they therefore said please let’s stop it and they’ve stopped. But we have to be careful, which is why the government very clearly said, we are not putting an end to the Operation Sindoor…”

Shrikant Shinde: The Shiv Sena MP-led delegation visited the United Arab Emirates. Following meetings with influential leaders in the UAE, he wrote in a post on X: “We proudly shared India’s decisive success with ‘Operation Sindoor’ and highlighted the ongoing terrorism threats emanating from Pakistan.” Shinde also asserted, “We are taking a firm stand for global security and respect for international peace.”

The Indian Embassy in the UAE eventually released a statement, addressing the focal issues discussed during these key meetings. “Together in the fight against terrorism! The All-party delegation led by @DrSEShinde held a fruitful meeting with HE Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan @uaetolerance in Abu Dhabi. Reaffirmed their commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” the embassy said.

Further informing that the delegation met Dr Ali Alnuaimi, chairman of defence affairs, interior and foreign affairs committee, the embassy noted that the international exchange highlighted the “ethos of harmony and tolerance of India and UAE.” As per the official statement, India-UAE stand together in their resolve for zero-tolerance against terrorism.

Indian delegation in Japan: Led by Janata Dal United’s (JDU) Sanjay Jha, the all-party group sat down with Takeshi Iwaya, Foreign Minister of Japan. A post by India’s Embassy in Japan underscored what went down during the meeting. “India’s national consensus and resolute commitment to combat terrorism in all forms was reaffirmed. FM reiterated Japan’s support to India’s fight against terrorism and expressed appreciation for the restraint shown by the Indian side. He called for punishing the perpetrators of terror activities,” the tweet said.

The statement further highlighted that Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s former prime minister and chairman of Japan India Association, reiterated the Asian nation’s “commitment to support India in its fight against terrorism.”