External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar praised the accomplishments of seven all-party teams despatched to various partner countries following Operation Sindoor, highlighting India’s strong global diplomatic outreach in the wake of its rigorous anti-terrorism efforts.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Jaishankar praised the delegations led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Shashi Tharoor, Baijayant Panda, Sanjay Kumar Jha, Kanimozhi, Supriya Sule, and Srikant Eknath Shinde, stating that their efforts brought national pride by engaging world leaders, including host country foreign ministers, who treated them with great respect.
These delegations, which included government and opposition representatives, civic-minded individuals, and retired diplomats, effectively articulated India’s unified attitude of zero tolerance for terrorism.
Jaishankar emphasized the need of such unity within the country in ensuring an unflinching fight against terrorism, and expressed hope that the solidarity displayed overseas will be reflected in the proceedings of Parliament.
He highlighted the Modi government’s efforts to reinforce border infrastructure, citing a fourfold increase in the budget for border projects, as well as considerable progress in tunnelling, road, and bridge construction. Jaishankar contrasted this proactive strategy with earlier decades of neglect, crediting India’s current border resilience—particularly along its borders with Pakistan and China—to these coordinated investments.
In his speech, Jaishankar also mentioned improving relations with neighboring countries, specifically India’s engagement with the Maldives and Sri Lanka. He noted India’s invitation to build two new airports in the Maldives as evidence of the improvement in bilateral relations, which marked a significant reversal from prior tensions when an Indian company was barred from participating in an airport project.
On Sri Lanka, he compared current security concerns with prior decisions such as the construction of the Hambantota port, urging a comparison of historical choices with current policy.
Throughout his speech, Jaishankar implicitly criticized the previous administration’s border and regional policies, framing the government’s recent actions and diplomatic successes as critical to national security and international standing, while reaffirming India’s determination to maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism both at home and on the global stage.
