'India Reserves The Right To Act': In South Africa, Manish Tewari Warns Pakistan Against Terrorism
Last Updated:
Congress MP Manish Tewari in Johannesburg warned that India reserves the right to act if Pakistan continues using terrorism as state policy.
Congress leader Manish Tewari, who is part of the all-party delegation visiting key capitals, including South Africa, as part of the Modi government's big diplomatic outreach, has said India reserves the right to act against Pakistan if the neighbouring country continues to use terrorism as an instrument of state policy.
Speaking in Johannesburg, the Congress MP also reiterated that the Indian delegations have leaders from different political parties, but stand united in India's message in dealing with cross-border terrorism.
'On this platform, you have people representing different political parties, from the government to the Opposition. This delegation is led by our honourable colleague, Mrs Supriya Sule, who is the floor leader of one Opposition party in the Parliament," Tewari said.
'I represent the principal Opposition party in the Parliament. My colleague here, Mr Vikramjeet Singh Sahni, is also from another Opposition party," he added.
'Both our colleagues, or three of our colleagues, are from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is the ruling party."
'So, the manner in which this delegation has been structured, and the way it has been constituted, is to convey a national resolve, that if terrorism keeps getting perpetrated against India from across the border, if Pakistan continues to use terrorism as an instrument of state policy, if you have a state on our western border where there is no distinction between the state and the semi-state actors and it spawns, then under those circumstances, it is our national resolve that under no circumstances would that be tolerable," Manish Tewari said.
'India then reserves the right to energise the full spectrum of options that are available to it, in order to protect and defend itself as its national interest," he added.
On Thursday, Tewari had said that Pakistan has been behaving and acting like a 'rogue state".
He also said that Pakistan-sponsored terrorism has been creating 'instability" in Afghanistan and Iran as well.
The delegation, led by Supriya Sule, includes Members of Parliament Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Vikramjeet Singh Sahney, Manish Tewari, Anurag Singh Thakur, Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Anand Sharma, former Minister of Commerce and Industry, V Muraleedharan, Former Minister of State for External Affairs, and Syed Akbaruddin, Former Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations.
India launched 'Operation Sindoor' against Pakistan on the intervening night of May 6 and 7, days after Pakistan resorted to a terror attack in Kashmir's iconic Pahalgam, killing 26 innocent tourists.
More than 100 terrorists and multiple terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) were destroyed in the strikes by India.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
25 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Over 2,000 illegal immigrants ‘pushed back' into Bangladesh since Operation Sindoor
More than 2,000 alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrants are estimated to have been 'pushed back' across the border by Indian authorities since Operation Sindoor began in the early hours of May 7, following a nationwide verification exercise, Government sources told The Indian Express. During the same period, they said, a similar number of immigrants showed up near the India-Bangladesh border voluntarily to cross over amid the fear generated by the crackdown. According to the sources, the Government action is taking place along the Bangladesh border in Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam. Gujarat was among the first to begin the round-up and has accounted for nearly half of all those who have been 'pushed back', they said. Delhi and Haryana, too, have sent back immigrants in large numbers with the rest being rounded up from Assam, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, the sources said. 'It is an ongoing process and all states which have cities with significant economic activity are rounding up such illegal immigrants after verification of their documents. A focused effort began in this direction following the Pahalgam attacks in April. Since Operation Sindoor, it has picked up pace. Gujarat was the first off the blocks followed by Delhi and Haryana. More states will begin sending soon. The instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs are clear in this regard and the states, too, are cooperating,' a senior Government source said. According to the source, these alleged illegal immigrants are being ferried to the borders in IAF aircraft from various locations and handed over to the BSF to be held in makeshift camps along the border. They are provided food and some Bangladeshi currency, if needed, and 'pushed back' into their country after a few hours of detention, the source said. Referring to the action happening along the border in Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam, a security establishment officer said, 'There is a perception that these states have been chosen because they are BJP-ruled. But that is not true. BJP is a small minority in Meghalaya. These states were chosen because of the ease in pushing back from these states. In West Bengal, because of the nature of the border, which often passes through the middle of villages or even houses, and the familial connections on either side, there was fear of law and order issues cropping up.' According to another official, just under 2,000 Bangladeshi immigrants have showed up on the border voluntarily to cross over. 'Because of largescale reporting in the media about a crackdown, many illegal immigrants from Bangladesh are voluntarily leaving the country for the fear of being detained,' the official said. According to sources, the operation has been running smoothly so far with the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) 'cooperating' with their Indian counterparts. 'It is because most of those who have been rounded up are not resisting deportation. Barring those who came to India decades ago, most are willing to go back. Once rounded up and taken to the border, they call up their relatives in Bangladesh who come to pick them up. Most of them know that once they are rounded up, they will end up in detention centres or jails. A majority of them are poor labourers with no means to fight a legal battle. They prefer to go back to their families,' another security establishment officer said. Sources, however, said they expect some official unease in Bangladesh once the numbers swell to 10,000 or 20,000 a week. 'This is only a temporary solution. Such exercises, albeit on a much smaller scale, have been carried out in the past as well, even under the UPA government. But these illegal immigrants often come back once the heat lowers. That is why the Government is pushing for biometric capture of all such immigrants who are being pushed back and integration with larger immigration data,' an official said.
Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
With Sindoor focus, BJP eyes TMC's core female vote bank
With Sindoor focus, BJP eyes TMC's core female vote bank KOLKATA: The era of "appeasement politics" in Bengal is over as BJP primes itself to form the next government in 2026 with the supportThe era of 'appeasement politics' in Bengal is over as BJP primes itself to form the next government in 2026 with the support of its core Hindu constituency and women voters moving away from CM Mamata Banerjee 's party, home minister Amit Shah said Sunday while echoing a sentiment ignited by PM Narendra Modi in north Bengal last week. 'Bengal's women won't tolerate any insult to sindoor,' Shah declared at Kolkata's Netaji Indoor Stadium. He said CM Mamata taking potshots at PM Modi amid India's Operation Sindoor targeting terrorist sites in Pakistan indicated whose side she was on. 'It would have been better if she were pained by Bengalis getting killed (in violence within Bengal). She didn't utter a word then.' Shah alleged that the recent violence in Murshidabad linked to anti-waqf law protests was a 'state-sponsored' riot. 'The state government did not seek help from BSF despite repeated alerts from us. Finally, BSF intervened after the high court's order. Trinamool netas were accusing BSF and encouraging the rioters…The CM opposed the waqf amendments. Who was she trying to protect?' The home minister said the next elections in Bengal were not only about Bengal's future, but also national security. 'Mamata Banerjee has opened the nation's borders to Bangladeshis. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Stop dit in je schoenen! Op dag 3 zakte m'n lievelingsbroek al af (ik stond paf!) Undo She is allowing infiltration. We asked her for land to fence the gaps. She isn't providing it so that infiltration continues, her vote bank keeps growing, and her nephew becomes the CM. But this is not going to happen,' he said. Shah said it was painful to see Bengal plumb the depths, first under Left Front's governance, and now TMC . 'For years, Bengal led India in every field. But then came the communists, and after that, Mamata Didi took charge with the slogan of 'Maa, Mati, Manush'. She has since turned this great land into the hub of infiltration, corruption, atrocities on women, bomb blasts and injustice against Hindus,' he said. 'During elections and even after Didi's victory, hundreds of BJP workers were brutally killed. Didi, how long will you hide them? Mark my words — your time is over.' Shah said under UPA, Bengal received Rs 2.09 lakh crore, whereas under Modi, it received Rs 8.27 lakh crore in 10 years. But the money was 'looted by the TMC syndicate', he said. 'Even if Modiji sends Rs 50 lakh crore, it won't reach the people unless BJP is in government here. To get Modiji's benefits and homes, you must bring a BJP government in Bengal,' Shah told the crowd. He later inaugurated a Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Rajarhat.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Cong missteps give UDF a headache
Kozhikode: When former independent MLA PV Anvar left LDF and accused CM Pinarayi Vijayan and his office of wrongdoing, many thought it would hurt the Left in the bypoll. But due to a series of mistakes by Congress in handling the acerbic and unpredictable leader, the issue is now becoming a problem for UDF just before elections. Although Anvar kept attacking UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath and claimed he had no chance of winning, Congress failed to present a clear counter narrative. Instead of closing ranks, Congress leaders kept engaging with Anvar and fuelled speculation within the party about how to deal with him. Anvar's personal credibility has faded over the years, reducing his electoral influence, but he still holds some 'spoiler' value that matters in a close bypoll. UDF insiders believe his impact may be limited to fewer than 5000 votes, but even a small shift can make a difference in a tight race. LDF, by fielding rising heavyweight M Swaraj, seems to be consolidating its core vote base effectively. UDF's unclear and inconsistent stance on Anvar has exposed its internal divisions. Early public gestures, like sharing the stage with Anvar and seeming to support his anti-Pinarayi remarks, gave him more weight than he deserves. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Descubra ofertas de voos imperdíveis Voos | Anúncios de Pesquisa Saiba Mais Undo This could help Anvar attract some anti-incumbency votes that might otherwise have gone to UDF in a direct contest. During the campaign, LDF and UDF will have to endure his daily attacks on Shoukath and Swaraj and risk weakening their broader political fight against each other. Congress seems to have underestimated the long-standing personal animosity between Anvar and the Aryadan family. Expecting tactical cooperation between Anvar and Shoukath was probably naive. From the start, Anvar was unlikely to accept Shoukath taking the MLA seat he resigned from, unless, as some speculate, a firm offer for a seat in the 2026 election was on the table. UDF must watch out if Anvar exploits the front's internal problems, including local resentment after former DCC president VV Prakash narrowly lost the 2021 polls and unease among parts of the Muslim community over Shoukath's cultural views, especially shown in his films. UDF and LDF say Anvar's candidacy will not affect their chances. UDF leaders argue the contest is now a direct ideological battle between the fronts, which they hope will serve as a referendum on LDF govt's nine-year rule. After winning Nilambur in 2016, CPM went out of its way to support Anvar who came from a prominent Congress family. He caught CPM's attention with his aggressive politics and the party backed him when he left Congress. CPM also supported Anvar in the 2011 assembly elections when he ran as an independent from Ernad. Later Anvar ran as an independent in Wayanad in 2014 and won nearly 50,000 votes in an election where CPI's Sathyan Mokeri lost by 20,870 votes. Though Anvar was involved in controversies including illegal construction on ESA land at Kakkadampoyil and faced criminal cases, CPM and the CM protected him. CPM fielded him in Nilambur in 2021 though some opposed his long absence before the elections as he was in Sierra Leone setting up a Rs 20,000 crore gold and diamond mining business.
