New Delhi: In a significant diplomatic push following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday announced the deployment of seven multi-party delegations of Indian Members of Parliament (MPs) to various countries under ‘Operation Sindoor’. The aim: to expose Pakistan’s state-backed terrorism and reinforce India’s global zero-tolerance policy on terrorism.
Each group consists of 8-9 MPs from across party lines, led by a designated delegation head, and will visit strategically chosen regions to garner international support.
“One mission. One message. One Bharat. Seven All-Party Delegations will soon engage key nations under Operation Sindoor, reflecting our collective resolve against terrorism,” Rijiju posted on X.
Delegation Breakdown: Countries and Leaders
🔹 Group 1 (Baijayant Panda – BJP):
To visit: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Algeria
Members include: Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM), Ghulam Nabi Azad, Satnam Singh Sandhu, Harsh Shringla
🔹 Group 2 (Ravi Shankar Prasad – BJP):
To visit: UK, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark
Members include: Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena UBT), Amar Singh (Congress), MJ Akbar, Ghulam Ali Khatana
🔹 Group 3 (Sanjay Kumar Jha – JD(U)):
To visit: Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Singapore
Members include: Salman Khurshid, Aparajita Sarangi, Yusuf Pathan, John Brittas
🔹 Group 4 (Shrikant Shinde – Shiv Sena):
To visit: UAE, Liberia, Congo, Sierra Leone
Members include: Bansuri Swaraj, Mohammed Basheer (IUML), Sasmit Patra (BJD), Sujan Chinoy
🔹 Group 5 (Shashi Tharoor – Congress):
To visit: USA, Panama, Guyana, Brazil, Colombia
Members include: Tejasvi Surya, Milind Deora, Shambhavi Choudhary, Taranjit Singh Sandhu
🔹 Group 6 (Kanimozhi – DMK):
To visit: Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Latvia, Russia
Members include: Rajeev Rai (SP), Brijesh Chowta (BJP), Prem Chand Gupta (RJD), Jawed Ashraf
🔹 Group 7 (Supriya Sule – NCP-SCP):
To visit: Egypt, Qatar, Ethiopia, South Africa
Members include: Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Anurag Thakur, Manish Tewari, Syed Akbaruddin
Context: Aftermath of Operation Sindoor
Launched on May 7, Operation Sindoor was India’s direct military response to the Pahalgam terror attack, targeting terror camps in Pakistan and PoJK. The operation eliminated over 100 terrorists linked to JeM, LeT, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling and drone attacks, prompting India to conduct coordinated airstrikes that damaged 11 key Pakistani military sites. A temporary cessation of hostilities was reached on May 10.
India’s Strategy: Diplomacy + Defense
This diplomatic campaign complements India’s military response, aiming to:
- Counter Pakistan’s narrative in global forums
- Expose terror financing and support networks
- Mobilize international opinion in favor of India’s counter-terror doctrine
- Strengthen alliances with democratic and strategic partners
Rijiju emphasized this is a “united national mission”, cutting across political affiliations and placing India’s security interests first.