Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Tuesday briefed three of the seven groups — led by JD(U)’s Sanjay Jha, Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde, and DMK’s Kanimozhi — on their agenda, protocols, and expected engagements abroad during the diplomatic outreach that starts on May 23.
Congress leader and former Union minister for external affairs, Salman Khurshid, who is part of the group that will visit Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore, reacted to the briefing and took a different standpoint from his party and said there was no interference by anyone (the US) in the ceasefire.
“There was no interference by anyone (in understanding between India and Pakistan), there was no mediation... whatever has happened, has happened only between the two nations. When the matter escalated, it was between our two nations. When it ended, it ended between the two nations. It was initiated by the Pakistan DGMO... We said that it should be done if they are ready.”
He added, “Politics within the country is our right, our duty; it is different. But outside the country, what we have to say, is different.”
On May 11, leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to call a special session of Parliament to discuss Operation Sindoor and the ceasefire, underlining that US President Donald Trump first announced the ceasefire.
A day later, diplomat turned Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said India wasn’t requesting mediation.
"Let me be blunt about it...Jaishankar spoke to Secretary Rubio. Then he (Rubio) spoke with the foreign minister of Pakistan. These kinds of contacts were going on throughout these three or four days of the conflict. But that doesn't mean that India was requesting mediation…That's not mediation. That is the Americans trying to play a constructive role. If they or any other country did that, (that's) great. Frankly, the US was not the only country. Jaishankar has been speaking to the foreign ministers of the UAE, UK, or France (as well).”
Reacting to the briefing by the foreign secretary, JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha, who is leading Khurshid’s delegation, emphasised the mission’s purpose.
“The delegations to world capitals will highlight Pakistan's decades of sponsorship of terrorism in India and how terror incidents in other countries have been traced to Pakistan. India has decided that enough is enough and has set a new normal in its reaction to terror incidents on its soil,” he said after the briefing.
BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi revealed that they were briefed in detail.
“We are going to all countries that are members of the UNSC, they are about 15 in number. We are also going to five other countries that will become members of the UNSC in the days to come. A few such countries have been selected, whose voice is heard on international level... When meeting will be held at the UNSC, Pakistan, which would be a member of the UNSC for the next 17 months, will definitely try to present its position. It will make anti-India claims,” she said.
She added, “India never attacked civilians. We destroyed 9 terror camps and killed more than 100 terrorists. So, it is baseless to say that we attacked Pakistani civilians... With great precision, we did our work. As far as Indus Water Treaty is concerned, Govt of India had made repeated requests to Pakistan that the Treaty needs amendments so we should talk. But, there was no cooperation from Pakistan. So, India has said that blood and water cannot flow together. They killed 26 tourists, so we suspend this Treaty...It has been kept in abeyance.”
Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, who also heads one of the delegations, said, “The countries we are visiting should be informed about India's stance. The way India has been fighting terrorism and dealing with Pakistan should be made known to the world.”
AAP MP Dr Ashok Kumar Mittal, part of Group 6 visiting Russia, Spain, Greece, Slovenia, and another country, said: “The basic concept of the briefing was to know what we have to do or not do there, who we have to meet, what precautions we have to take and how we have to present India's side impactfully... Dossier details are being prepared, it will be provided to us.”
Mittal added, “We are united when we are outside India. When it comes to the security of the country, we are united. When it comes to the honour of the country, we are united. There was never any doubt about it.”
SP MP Rajeev Rai said, “What stand we have, what events took place from Pahalgam to ceasefire and how Pakistan was involved, what we expect... all of these were discussed. We have to expose Pakistan and make them realise that India was never against Pakistan, their military or their people. We attacked terrorist camps. We are going out as representatives of the nation. Nation is supreme. There is no party. If the nation remains, only then there would be party and politics.”
In a diplomatic outreach following the Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent Operation Sindoor, the Government of India is sending seven all-party delegations to over 25 countries to highlight Pakistan’s role in sponsoring terrorism and to present India’s united stance on national security.
