With a gutsy diplomatic stroke, the Narendra Modi government has decided to dispatch groups of Members of Parliament (MPs) belonging to various parties to power centres around the globe.
The objective is to highlight Pakistan's involvement in the horrific April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and to rally more international support against cross-border terrorism.
According to sources, six teams, each consisting of five MPs, will be formed to present New Delhi’s evidence against Islamabad and highlight India’s post-attack response, known as Operation Sindoor, to governments and organizations across multiple countries. These visits are scheduled between May 22 and June 1.
The delegations will feature prominent leaders from both the ruling BJP and opposition parties.
Among them who are most likely to lead these delegations are Shrikant Shinde (MP from Kalyan), Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (DMK), Supriya Sule (Working President, NCP), Shashi Tharoor (Congress), and Sanjay Jha (JD(U)). Their travel schedules will be to nations like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, Egypt, the United States of America, and Japan.
Some other key MPs who are expected to be present include BJP's Anurag Thakur, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, and Tejasvi Surya; TDP's Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu; Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari; and Asaduddin Owaisi.
The move comes at a time when Pakistan is making a growing effort to globalize the Kashmir issue — something that has been emphasized by statements of the previous US President Donald Trump — even as India has been holding firm ground that Kashmir is a bilateral issue.
This is a new initiative for the Modi government, which is now engaging elected representatives from all parties on both sides of the political divide as diplomatic ambassadors to counter the international narrative of Pakistan.
The delegations have a two-part mandate: to inform countries on the senseless Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives, and make it clear that India's 'Operation Sindoor' targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied territories and not civilians.
The goal is to break the narrative that is being woven by Pakistan and its sympathizers," a senior official involved in the planning process stated.
The Ministry of External Affairs, with close cooperation from Intelligence and Defence agencies, is preparing detailed dossiers and key talking points.
Indian missions in the targeted countries will support the MPs by organizing meetings and ground-level logistical and strategic back-up.
The MPs will emphasize Pakistan's three decades of use of terror as a tool to destabilize India, backed by credible information on terror camps, recruitment networks, and evidence linking the ISI.
Secondly, the delegations will highlight the manner in which Pakistan's retaliatory measures against 'Operation Sindoor' merely corroborate its active involvement in harbouring and cultivating terrorist groups.
This global diplomatic campaign is not merely to humiliate Pakistan internationally, but to position India in a stronger position in front of the major global platforms and bilateral talks.
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