All-Party Delegation Presents India’s Doctrine In South Korea: ‘No Distinction Between Terrorists, Their Sponsors’

Seoul, May 25 (PTI) An all-party parliamentary delegation sent to South Korea to convey India's response to terrorism in the aftermath of the military campaign Operation Sindoor told Korean dignitaries that "no distinction can be made between terrorists and their sponsors." "The delegation reaffirmed India’s “New Normal” of swift and decisive retaliation on India’s terms against terrorism. They also emphasised that no distinction can be made between terrorists and their sponsors," the Indian Embassy here said in a post on X.

"The Korean side conveyed their firm opposition to terrorism and expressed understanding of India’s position," it added.

The meeting was attended from South Korea's side by former Foreign Minister Yoon Young-kwan, National Counter-Terrorism Center Director Major Gen Shin Sang-gyun, former Korean Ambassadors to India, Shin Bong-kil and Lee Joon-gyu, and others.

The delegation, led by JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, is one of the seven multi-party delegations India has tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community on Pakistan’s designs and India’s response to terror.

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, who is also part of the delegation, said India and South Korea share a deep cultural bond through Rabindranath Tagore, whose poem "The Lamp of the East" continues to hold a special place in the hearts of Koreans.

"India and South Korea stand united in our unwavering commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms. Together, we reaffirm our shared values of peace, resilience and justice in the face of such global threats," he said in a post on X.

Earlier in the day, the delegation met members of the Indian diaspora here. The nine-member team arrived in the South Korean capital on Saturday.

"Representing a unified front of India, the delegates clearly explained Pakistan’s involvement in orchestrating the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and how India launched Operation Sindoor in response, striking terror infrastructures in both Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir," the Indian Embassy said in a post on X about the delegation's interaction with the Indian community.

"Our initial response as well as subsequent action was measured, targeted, non-escalatory and responsible," it added.

The delegation also commended the Indian diaspora "for upholding the principles of tolerance, pluralism and unity, for standing resilient against terrorism and for amplifying the national resolve to combat terrorism in all its forms," the Embassy further said.

Before the meetings, the delegation attended a briefing by Ambassador Amit Kumar, who “highlighted the Korean-specific approach to the scheduled engagements, setting the context for a strong messaging of India’s stance of zero tolerance against terrorism.” “We had a constructive meeting with @KumarAmitMEA, Ambassador of India to the Republic of Korea, focusing on strengthening bilateral cooperation,” Jha said in a post on X.

In an earlier post, Jha said he was “honoured to be in the Land of Morning Calm with the all-party Indian delegation to strengthen India-South Korea counter-terrorism cooperation.” The scheduled visit till May 26 will strengthen the ongoing efforts to further India’s principled and resolute stance of zero tolerance against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, the Embassy said in a press release.

Besides Jha, the delegation comprises MPs Aparajita Sarangi, Abhishek Banerjee, Brij Lal, John Brittas, Pradan Baruah, Hemang Joshi, former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid and former ambassador of India to France and Bahrain Mohan Kumar.

The Jha-led delegation visited Japan earlier and said it was deeply encouraged by Tokyo’s unequivocal support to New Delhi’s war against terror.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives. India carried out precision strikes as part of Operation Sindoor on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7.

It was followed by Pakistan’s attempt to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9, and 10. The Indian side responded strongly to the Pakistani actions.

The on-ground hostilities ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)

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