New Delhi [India], July 28 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday praised the efforts of the all-party delegations that engaged with international partners following Operation Sindoor, stating that the seven delegations “did the nation proud” by effectively conveying India’s firm stance against terrorism.
Speaking during a debate in the Lok Sabha on Operation Sindoor, Jaishankar highlighted the honor and respect with which the delegations were received abroad.
“In many cases, the Foreign Minister of the host country met them. These seven delegations—led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Shashi Tharoor, Baijayant Panda, Sanjay Kumar Jha, Kanimozhi, Supriya Sule, and Srikant Eknath Shinde—did the nation proud. Across the board, every member—opposition members, government members, public-spirited citizens, and retired diplomats—were able to explain to the world our posture of zero tolerance against terrorism,” Jaishankar said.
He emphasized the importance of national unity in combating terrorism: “We can only succeed in ensuring zero tolerance against terrorism if we have a united voice in this country. There must not be any division of opinion on this matter. The solidarity demonstrated by the parliamentary delegations abroad—I hope the same will be reflected in the proceedings of the House.”
Addressing broader national security concerns, the minister also outlined the Modi government’s significant investment in border infrastructure.
“Our borders—whether with Pakistan, China, or elsewhere—are now stronger. The massive military deployment seen along the China border since 2020 has been possible because our border infrastructure budget has increased fourfold. Our tunneling, road construction, and bridge building have doubled or tripled,” he said.
Jaishankar took veiled jabs at the Congress party, contrasting the current approach with past policies. “This is a far cry from the era when the thinking was, ‘Let us not develop the border, so the Chinese cannot come in.’ That mindset led to 60 years of border neglect. In the last 10 years, that neglect has been reversed. There’s still more to do, but the progress is undeniable.”
Touching on India’s foreign policy successes, he referred to recent developments in India’s relations with neighboring countries. “We just returned from the Maldives, where Prime Minister Modi was the Guest of Honor at their Independence Day. This is the same country where, under the previous government, an Indian company was forced to leave an airport. Today, they’ve invited us to build two new airports.”
On Sri Lanka, Jaishankar criticized earlier decisions regarding the Hambantota Port. “When the port was built between 2005 and 2008, it was justified as having no impact on India’s interests. I urge the House to consider the record of those now claiming to be the custodians of national security. Let us evaluate what they did when they were in office.”
Returning to the central topic, he concluded, “Let me now come back to Operation Sindoor,” reinforcing the importance of the operation and India’s diplomatic efforts in its aftermath.
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