The all-party Parliamentary delegation from India led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday held a productive meeting with the European Parliament's Vice-President Christel Schaldemose, apprising her of Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism and the heinous April 22 Pahalgam attack.
"A good opportunity to brief at senior parliamentary level the use of cross-border terrorism as an instrument of state policy to disrupt progress in Kashmir and communalise the situation. Condemnation of heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam and appreciation for India's firm policy of zero-tolerance on terrorism," Indian Embassy in Belgium posted on X.
Prasad also took to social media, asserting that the meeting gave an opportunity to expose Pakistan's use of terrorism as state policy to undermine development in Kashmir and incite communal tensions.
"We apprised the Vice-President of the European Parliament about the situation in India regarding Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. We requested tat she consider highlighting the cost of supporting terrorist machinery in Pakistan, particularly in terms of international aid.
We were deeply impressed by her evident affection for India and her commitment to upholding humanity and democracy," he said in a post on X. Later at a media interaction in Brussels, the delegation highlighted India's decisive response to terrorism, the goals of Operation Sindoor, and the roadmap for a stronger India-EU partnership, including in combating terrorism.
On Wednesday, the delegation met with Members of European Parliament (MEPs) and discussed combating terrorism including cross-border terrorism, global peace, and deepening of India-EU ties. The EU side was briefed about the deadly 22 Pahalgam terror attack and the calibrated and targetted response of India through Operation Sindoor, giving the message of zero tolerance to terrorism.
During the meeting, the MEPs expressed their solidarity with victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. The delegates also had insightful interaction with leading Brussels-based think tanks on the menace of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism directed against India.
The Indian parliamentarians discussed India's counter-terrorism efforts, including Operation Sindoor, with members of the think tank community in Brussels. They further conveyed India's unified and unequivocal message of zero tolerance against terrorism.
Furthermore, the delegates interacted with members of the Indian diaspora who expressed their deep solidarity with the victims of recent terrorist attacks and backed India's strong and principled stance against terrorism and its zero-tolerance policy.
They underscored the vital role of the diaspora in amplifying India's voice on the global stage.The nine-member delegation includes a diverse political representation with Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP), Daggubati Purandeswari (BJP), Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena-UBT), Ghulam Ali Khatana (BJP), Amar Singh (Congress), Samik Bhattacharya (BJP), M. Thambidurai (AIADMK), former Union Minister M.J. Akbar, and former Ambassador Pankaj Saran.
After concluding visits to France, Italy, Denmark, and the UK, the Indian delegation is in Belgium as a part of India's global diplomatic outreach campaign to highlight the significance of Operation Sindoor and the continued fight against Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism.