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The all-party delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde called on the Indian community in Sierra Leone to diplomatically isolate and morally condemn Pakistan for its continued support of terrorism, highlighting a long history of betrayal in response to India's consistent efforts to promote peace.
During a press interaction in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Saturday, Shinde, along with BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj and BJP leader SS Ahluwalia, emphasised India's strategic response through Operation Sindoor while underscoring the need to combat terrorism globally, particularly in light of the Pahalgam terror attack. Shinde noted that Pakistan had backstabbed India time and time again despite Indian Prime Ministers personally visiting the neighbouring country to initiate peace efforts. He added that Indian citizens don't want war, but this time the attack was not on the citizens but on humanity; that is why Operation Sindoor happened. "We are a peace-loving nation... Our Prime Ministers personally visited Pakistan and made a number of declarations... We always initiated peace talks with our neighbouring nation, Pakistan. But every time we were backstabbed by the terrorist attacks... Our citizens don't want war, but why did this Operation Sindoor happen? Because we were continuously attacked, and this time the attack was not on our citizens but on humanity... To defend our citizens and nation, we had to undertake this Operation Sindoor... But we only targeted terror camps," Shinde stated. "When the attack happened in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, the terrorists were asking the religion of the people they killed... After ascertaining that they were Hindus, non-Muslims, they were shot dead... There was a specific motive of the terrorists and Pakistan to destabilise the regional harmony in India... As Sierra Leone is very secular and progressive, people from different religions have representation in the parliament... The terrorism which is happening in the name of religion has to be stopped," Shinde added, detailing the Pahalgam attack's communal motive. Meanwhile, Swaraj also called for global action for diplomatic isolation and a moral callout to Pakistan against their state-sponsored terrorism. "As far as nations like Pakistan are concerned, which are terrorist-sponsoring nations that use terrorism to wage a proxy war and think that terrorism is the way forward for them, well, this is the time to isolate them diplomatically and call them out morally, and India will continue to respond to them strategically," she stated. BJP Leader Ahluwalia also highlighted India's restraint, stating, "Now ceasefire is there and we believe in peace... We have seen these attacks for the last 40 years... We have responded sensibly... We have not disturbed any Pakistani nationals, and even when the Pakistani army retaliated, we have not touched the Pakistani army establishment." The delegation led by Shinde also includes BJP MP Atul Garg and Manan Kumar Mishra, BJD MP Sasmit Patra, Indian Union Muslim League's ET Mohammed Basheer and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy. The delegation aims to brief international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders. (ANI)
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