In a significant diplomatic outreach, the Indian government announced on Saturday, May 17, that seven multi-party delegations comprising 51 Members of Parliament will travel to over 30 countries later this month to convey India’s firm stance against terrorism, particularly emanating from Pakistan. The move comes in the aftermath of the recent Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, with the government seeking to isolate Islamabad on the global stage.
The unusual initiative sees participation from both ruling and opposition parties — a gesture being hailed as a show of national unity on an issue of critical importance. Of the seven delegations, three will be led by opposition leaders: Congress’s Shashi Tharoor, NCP (SP)’s Supriya Sule, and DMK’s Kanimozhi. The remaining four will be headed by BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad, Baijayant Panda, JD(U)’s Sanjay Kumar Jha and Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Eknath Shinde.
“These delegations represent India’s national consensus and its zero-tolerance approach to terrorism,” the government said in a statement, adding that each team will be accompanied by a diplomat and a liaison officer.
The delegations are expected to depart on May 22 and 23, and will collectively engage with representatives from all major world capitals — including four of the five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council, excluding China. The countries being covered range from the US, UK and EU nations to key partners in West Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Tharoor’s team, for instance, will visit the US, Panama, Guyana, Brazil and Colombia. His delegation includes MPs from across the political spectrum — from BJP’s Shashank Mani Tripathi and Tejasvi Surya to Shiv Sena’s Milind Deora and JMM’s Sarfaraz Ahmed.
Ravi Shankar Prasad will lead a delegation to Europe, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Denmark. The team includes Congress MP Amar Singh and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Priyanka Chaturvedi. The TMC’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay was also invited but reportedly declined due to health reasons.
Kanimozhi’s delegation will travel to Russia, Spain, Greece, Slovenia and Latvia, while Sule’s team will head to South Africa, Qatar, Egypt and Ethiopia. The latter includes Congress veterans like Anand Sharma and Manish Tewari, as well as Union Minister Anurag Thakur.
Other delegations include:
Sanjay Kumar Jha: Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia. The team includes CPI(M) MP John Brittas.
Shrikant Shinde: UAE, Liberia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone
Baijayant Panda: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Algeria. The BJP’s Nishikant Dubey and AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi will also be part of Panda’s team.
“This is a powerful reflection of national unity above politics,” Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju said, calling it a moment for India to speak in one voice to the world.