Leading a multi-party Indian parliamentary delegation to Saudi Arabia, BJP MP Baijayant Panda emphasized the strengthening partnership between Saudi Arabia and India in their joint war against terrorism.
Panda emphasized during his visit that both countries have experienced the negative effects of terrorism and now have a shared, unwavering, and principled position against it. He reminded that both nations released a joint statement denouncing terrorism in all its manifestations, with a focus on cross-border terrorism, during Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia, which was cut short by the Pahalgam terror incident that claimed the lives of 26 civilians.
“Most importantly, Saudi Arabia has faced terrible terrorism in the past and has taken a very principled stand,” Baijayant Panda told ANI. When the terrible terrorist assault in Pahalgam occurred, PM Modi was in Saudi Arabia. His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, and our side released a joint statement that strongly condemns terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism. Saudi Arabia and I are in agreement. Thus, the already-existing closeness only grows stronger, better, and deeper, which is encouraging in the fight against Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism.”
The Indian Prime Minister and the Crown Prince co-signed the declaration, which demanded that terrorism be condemned, that terrorist infrastructure be destroyed, and that those responsible for it face immediate justice.
Along with applauding the expansion of defense cooperation, which includes new joint military drills and the creation of a Ministerial Committee on Defense Cooperation, both parties emphasized the necessity of denying terrorists access to sophisticated weapons like drones and missiles.
Key Saudi officials, including the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and members of the Shura Council, met with the delegation, which comprised MPs from different parties and former diplomat Harsh Shringla. They praised Saudi Arabia’s resolute stance against the menace and communicated India’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism. Strengthening bilateral relations and looking into new opportunities for strategic collaboration, particularly in counterterrorism initiatives, were the main topics of discussion.
This diplomatic effort comes after India’s military reaction to the Pahalgam attack, Operation Sindoor, which killed over 100 militants associated with organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed by targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The operation was a component of a larger effort to put pressure on Pakistan to stop supporting cross-border terrorism and dismantle terror camps.
The delegation also discussed the brief absence of Ghulam Nabi Azad, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, who made substantial contributions on previous visits to Bahrain and Kuwait but had to return to India due to illness. Other delegation members, such as BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, reaffirmed to their Saudi counterparts that Saudi Arabia has recognized India’s worries about Pakistan’s ongoing support for terrorist organizations and that India will retaliate forcefully against any terrorist attacks in the future.
The trip is a reflection of the growing strategic and diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and India, which are based on a shared commitment to combating terrorism and security issues.
