In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor and the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the Indian government is planning to send all-party parliamentary delegations to several key countries.
The objective is to communicate India’s unified stand against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and to assert that India was the victim of aggression before mounting a retaliatory strike.
According to official sources, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in coordination with the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats, is preparing lists of Members of Parliament (MPs) from across party lines to be included in these delegations.
These teams are expected to be dispatched to European and Gulf nations in the initial phase.
The outreach aims to highlight India’s position on terrorism, particularly in light of the Pahalgam attack, and to brief foreign governments on Operation Sindoor, during which Indian forces carried out strikes on nine terror-linked targets across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The move mirrors similar diplomatic campaigns undertaken in 1994 and 2008, when India faced international scrutiny following terrorist incidents linked to Pakistan.
In 1994, the P.V. Narasimha Rao-led government had sent a delegation, headed by then opposition leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) in Geneva. That effort was successful in defeating a Pakistan-sponsored resolution targeting India over human rights in Jammu & Kashmir.
This time, the government is reaching out to opposition leaders to ensure a bipartisan message is conveyed globally. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has reportedly contacted several opposition MPs, inviting them to join the diplomatic initiative in the “national interest.”
Among those approached are Shashi Tharoor and Salman Khurshid of the Congress, Supriya Sule of the NCP(SP), Sudip Bandyopadhyay of the TMC, Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM, Kanimozhi of the DMK, and B.J. Panda of the BJP.
Shashi Tharoor currently chairs the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, while Salman Khurshid has previously served as the External Affairs Minister.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Khurshid confirmed receiving a call from the government and said he had informed the Congress leadership, which would make a decision on participation. “It is an all-party initiative, so the party will decide who to send,” he stated.
The government’s plan comes at a politically sensitive time. The Congress Party has accused the BJP of politicising Operation Sindoor, citing its leaders’ participation in Tiranga rallies.
In response, the Congress has announced its series of “Jai Hind” rallies across multiple cities. The party has also criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for briefing only NDA chief ministers about the operation, questioning why a meeting of all chief ministers was not convened.
By launching this diplomatic offensive with representation from across the political spectrum, the government is not only aiming to consolidate international support but also present a unified front at home amidst growing political tensions.
