New Delhi, May 17: In a decisive reaffirmation of its zero-tolerance stance on terrorism, the Indian government is set to dispatch seven All-Party Delegations to key partner countries later this month. The initiative comes in the aftermath of the recent “Operation Sindoor” and is aimed at galvanizing international support in the fight against cross-border terrorism.

The delegations will travel to several strategically significant nations, including member states of the United Nations Security Council, with the goal of reiterating India’s united and resolute position on terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. These diplomatic engagements are expected to bolster global cooperation and underscore India’s clear and uncompromising message — terrorism will not be tolerated under any circumstance.

Each of the seven delegations will include Members of Parliament representing a cross-section of political ideologies, senior political leaders, and seasoned diplomats. This initiative marks a rare show of unity among India’s political parties, reflecting consensus on a crucial national and international issue.

The delegations will be led by the following Members of Parliament:

• Shashi Tharoor (Indian National Congress)
• Ravi Shankar Prasad (Bharatiya Janata Party)
• Sanjay Kumar Jha (Janata Dal-United)
• Baijayant Panda (Bharatiya Janata Party)
• Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam)
• Supriya Sule (Nationalist Congress Party)
• Shrikant Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena)

The delegations will visit countries including the United States, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, Egypt, and Japan. Their primary objective is twofold: to brief foreign governments on the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack and to clarify that India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor was a focused military response aimed exclusively at terror infrastructure located in Pakistan-occupied regions, and did not target civilians.

However, a political twist emerged shortly after the Centre released the names of the MPs heading the delegations. The Congress party appeared to distance itself from the inclusion of Shashi Tharoor. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh publicly stated that Tharoor was not among the four names officially submitted by the party.

“Yesterday morning, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, spoke with the Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The INC was asked to submit names of 4 MPs for the delegations to be sent abroad to explain India’s stance on terrorism from Pakistan,” Ramesh posted on X (formerly Twitter).

He further clarified that by noon on May 16, Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi had sent a letter to Rijiju listing the following names on behalf of the party:

• Former Union Minister Anand Sharma
• Deputy Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi
• Rajya Sabha member Syed Naseer Hussain
• Lok Sabha MP Raja Brar

This apparent mismatch between the Centre’s final list and the Congress party’s official nominations has raised questions within political circles, especially as Tharoor has recently drawn criticism from within his own party for praising the Modi government after the success of “Operation Sindoor.”