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All-party panel briefs EAM on outreach talks
Former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who was part of the delegation, said the meeting with Jaishankar was “quite fruitful”.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar met members of BJP lawmaker Baijayant Panda-headed diplomatic delegation, which returned from its four-nation tour on Tuesday, and told them that the journey was successful and the objectives have been completed.
The multi-party delegation, which left Delhi on May 24, was the first to return after touring Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Algeria. The delegation members met Jaishankar at his office and presented him a report on how they exposed Pakistan in various countries over its support to terrorism.
Former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who was part of the delegation, said the meeting with Jaishankar was “quite fruitful”.
“The meeting was really good; feedback was given to the external affairs minister. All delegation members shared their views, and I think the minister got the feedback from the mission as well. But this time, the delegates have shared it first-hand. He (Jaishankar) said that the journey was quite successful, our objectives were completed, and he congratulated the delegation members and leaders,” Shringla added.
Panda in a post on X said: “When it comes to standing up for India, when it comes to taking a strong stand against cross-border terrorism sponsored by Pakistan, there was no let-up from anybody. All of our delegates were united and gave a very strong message — and it was very well received.”
“The new normal is very clear: we will retaliate, we will extract a cost from Pakistan,” he added.
In an earlier post after the completion of the key diplomatic tour, Panda said that over the past few days, the delegation “carried India’s strong message against terrorism, reinforced historic ties, and engaged in high-level dialogues.”
He also expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality and meaningful discussions in each country. “A special appreciation to my fellow delegation members — their insights, dedication, and teamwork were crucial in amplifying India’s voice throughout this mission,” he added.
The delegation also comprises BJP leaders Nishikant Dubey, Phangnon Konyak, and Rekha Sharma, AIMIM lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi, Satnam Sandhu (nominated), former minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Shringla.
Jaishankar is expected to meet the remaining six delegations before Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets all members of the seven delegations next week.
A total of seven delegations, led by Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor, NCP(SP)’s Supriya Sule, BJP’s Ravishankar Prasad and Panda, Shiv Sena’s Srikant Shinde, DMK leader K Kanimozhi and JD(U) lawmaker Sanjay Jha went to 38 countries and the European headquarters of Brussels. A total of 55 leaders including lawmakers, former diplomats and former Union ministers formed the delegations.
They aimed at reaching out to the international community on Pakistan’s designs and India’s response to terror after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7 under Operation Sindoor, following which Pakistan attempted to attack the Indian military bases over the next three days. The Indian side responded strongly to the Pakistani actions.
Speaking about the tour, Nishikant Dubey claimed: “All countries are both impressed and astonished by the nation’s development under the leadership of PM Modi. All countries consider India their friend and are united against Pakistan. Everyone is interested in doing business with us. All members of our delegation expressed views on Pakistan’s weakness and the fact that India has no option but to attack Pakistan to ensure the safety of its citizens.”
