India's national consensus and collective resolve against terrorism highlighted in South Africa

Johannesburg, May 28 (IANS) The Indian all-party Parliamentary delegation, led by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) Supriya Sule on Wednesday explained the background of terror incidents in India, including the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, while conveying India's united message of zero tolerance for terrorism during a meeting with the Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Province (NCOP) of South Africa, Poobalan Govender, and other Members of the Parliament of South Africa.

The all-party Parliamentary delegation also held a meeting with Supra Obakeng Ramoeletsi Mahumapelo, the Chairperson of Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, besides other members.

The delegation led by Sule had earlier engaged with members of the Indian community in South Africa, reaffirming India's strong and unified stance against terrorism.

"All-party delegation led by MP Supriya Sule interacted with the Indian community in South Africa They emphasised India’s national consensus and collective resolve against terrorism in all its forms. Commended the wholehearted support of the Indian diaspora to eradicate the scourge of terrorism," the Indian High Commission in South Africa posted on X.

The community interaction in Johannesburg marked the beginning of the delegation's official engagements in South Africa.

According to a statement issued by the High Commission of India in Pretoria, during the community interaction, the delegation conveyed India's zero-tolerance policy towards cross-border terrorism and reiterated the country's commitment to counter-terrorism without escalating regional tensions.

"The delegation shared that Operation Sindoor, conducted by India in response, was calibrated, targetted and proportionate, demonstrating India’s commitment to countering terrorism without escalating tensions. They emphasised the need to stop differentiating the terrorists and their backers and dismantling the cross-border terrorism infrastructure, developed and used against India for several decades," the statement added.

The delegation was welcomed by the Indian High Commissioner to South Africa, Prabhat Kumar on Tuesday who briefed them on the key dimensions of the India-South Africa bilateral relationship and the upcoming engagements.

The all-party delegation led by Supriya Sule comprises BJP leaders Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Anurag Thakur and V. Muraleedharan, Congress leaders Manish Tewari and Anand Sharma, Telugu Desam Party's Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Aam Aadmi Party leader Vikramjeet Singh Sawhney, and former diplomat Syed Akbaruddin.

The delegation, a part of India's global diplomatic outreach campaign to highlight the significance of Operation Sindoor and India's continued fight against Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism, reached South Africa following a successful visit to Qatar.

It was earlier welcomed by Indian Consul General, Ruby Jaspreet in Cape Town for a meeting with various ministers and parliamentarians of South Africa.

--IANS

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