In a sweeping diplomatic outreach, the Indian government on Saturday unveiled a list of seven all-party delegations that will visit 32 countries and the European Union headquarters to reinforce India’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism and brief international partners on Operation Sindoor, launched after last month’s deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
The initiative, backed by 59 members across party lines, includes 31 leaders from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and 20 politicians from the opposition and regional parties. The teams will begin their foreign missions on May 23, and each will be accompanied by a former Indian ambassador to ensure effective engagement with foreign governments.
The delegations will be led by a cross-section of prominent Indian parliamentarians, including the BJP’s Baijayant Jay Panda and Ravi Shankar Prasad; Congress MP Shashi Tharoor; JDU’s Sanjay Jha; Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde; DMK’s Kanimozhi Karunanidhi; and NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Supriya Sule.
The Delegation Groups and Their Destinations
Group 1: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Algeria
Led by Baijayant Panda (BJP), this team includes AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, former J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, and others. Former Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla will accompany the group.
Group 2: UK, France, Germany, EU, Italy, Denmark
Headed by Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP), it features representatives from Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and nominated MPs. Former ambassador Pankaj Saran joins as advisor.
Group 3: Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Singapore
Led by JDU’s Sanjay Kumar Jha, this delegation includes Yusuf Pathan (TMC), Salman Khurshid (Congress), and CPI(M)’s John Brittas. Ambassador Mohan Kumar will assist the group.
Group 4: UAE, Liberia, Congo, Sierra Leone
Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde will lead this team, supported by BJD’s Sasmit Patra and IUML’s Mohammed Basheer. Sujan Chinoy, director-general of the Manohar Parrikar IDSA, will accompany them.
Group 5: U.S., Panama, Guyana, Brazil, Colombia
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor will head this high-profile delegation, joined by MPs from BJP, JMM, LJP, TDP and Shiv Sena. Former Indian envoy to the U.S. Taranjit Singh Sandhu will be the diplomatic advisor.
Group 6: Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Latvia, Russia
DMK’s Kanimozhi Karunanidhi will lead the group, which includes MPs from SP, NC, AAP, RJD, and BJP. Ambassadors Manjeev Singh Puri and Jawed Ashraf will accompany the delegation.
Group 7: Egypt, Qatar, Ethiopia, South Africa
Supriya Sule (NCP) leads this team, which includes Congress’s Manish Tewari and BJP’s Anurag Thakur. Veteran diplomat Syed Akbaruddin will offer strategic guidance.
Operation Sindoor: The Trigger Point
The diplomatic offensive follows Operation Sindoor, India’s large-scale military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people. Investigations pointed to cross-border links, prompting India to launch retaliatory strikes on May 7 targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The Indian Air Force and special units reportedly destroyed nine key installations belonging to terror outfits, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and Hizbul Mujahideen, killing over 100 militants.
In a tit-for-tat escalation, Pakistan deployed drones and launched missiles toward western India, most of which were intercepted. India responded with precision strikes on selected military targets within Pakistani territory.
The flare-up ended with a ceasefire agreement on May 10, following four days of high-stakes cross-border confrontation.
India’s Global Messaging
Officials say the objective of these diplomatic visits is to rally support against state-sponsored terrorism and present evidence of cross-border terror activities. New Delhi is also expected to brief its counterparts on India’s calibrated military response and the limited but targeted scope of Operation Sindoor.
The all-party nature of the delegations is seen as a signal of national unity on the issue of terrorism and security. The government hopes the effort will galvanise broader international condemnation of terrorism emanating from Pakistan-based groups.
The visits are also expected to foster long-term cooperation on intelligence sharing, anti-terror financing mechanisms, and strategic partnerships to counter global terror networks.
