Latest news with #BaijayantPanda
Mint
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Op Sindoor delegations: Ravi Shankar Prasad's team visits London; Baijayant Panda says ‘there are 52 Osama bin Ladens'
BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad-led all-party delegation reached London on Saturday as part of India's efforts to reach out to partner countries to highlight its firm stance against cross-border terrorism and its policy of zero-tolerance to terrorism. Meanwhile, BJP MP Baijayant Panda slammed Pakistan in Algeria. 1. An all-party delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad arrived in London on Saturday to reiterate India's zero-tolerance stance on terrorism. Upon his arrival, Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "We are here in London. We will keep our stance on terrorism effectively, here. We believe that we will get that support here as well, the way we have received the support in those three countries." The multi-party delegation, comprising MPs Daggubati Purandeswari, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Ghulam Ali Khatana, Amar Singh, Samik Bhattacharya, M Thambidurai and former Union minister of state MJ Akbar and Ambassador Pankaj Saran, is scheduled to meet with community groups, think tanks, parliamentarians and diaspora leaders. The delegation landed in the UK after completing visits to France, Italy, and Denmark, where they engaged with government officials, diaspora, and other stakeholders to raise awareness about India's zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism. From the UK, the delegation will head for discussions and meetings with a cross-section of parliamentarians, political leaders and diaspora groups in the European Union (EU) and Germany. 2. Earlier during the Denmark leg of the visit, Ravi Shankar Prasad strongly responded to a group of Pakistani nationals who raised anti-India slogans outside a venue hosting the Indian delegation in Copenhagen. He dismissed the protest as an act of "desperation" and advised people to "ignore them with impunity" "I was very surprised to see Pakistanis here raising programme is going very are getting wide handlers in Pakistan must have told them to do something. They have come here in desperation. Pakistan is a desperate country that lives in desperation. Ignore them with impunity," Prasad said. 3. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Baijayant Panda, who is leading an all-party delegation to Algeria, hit out at Pakistan on Saturday (local time), highlighting that the neighbouring country is using its nuclear power to shield its terrorist activities. Referring to Pakistan's support in hiding Osama Bin Laden in the country, Panda was quoted by ANI as saying, 'Remember Osama bin Laden, for years, they used to lie until the Americans intervened and took him out. They are doing the same thing, except there are 52 Osama bin Ladens.' "The United Nations Security Council, of which Algeria is a member today, has sanctioned and banned a number of terrorist organisations and individuals, among them 52 terror organisations and terrorists are openly operating in Pakistan today," he added. The Group 1 delegation, led by Baijayant Panda, Member of Parliament and former Minister, includes senior parliamentarians and officials such as Dr. Nishikant Dubey, S. Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma, Asaduddin Owaisi, Satnam Singh Sandhu, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla. 4. Group 6 of the all-party delegation, led by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, arrived in Madrid. AAP MP Dr Ashok Kumar Mittal said, "This is our last destination in this tour. We will meet the Indian diaspora first and tell them about Operation Sindoor. Then, we will meet the people from the government, intellectuals, and academia. We will convey our message that India is determined to eliminate Pakistan-sponsored terrorism from India and the entire world." 5. AIMIM chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi said in Algeria, 'It's not only a question of South Asia. We are the 4th largest economy. What will happen? Do you want all this carnage to spread to different parts of South Asia? No. It is in the interest of world peace to control Pakistan, which is the main sponsor of terrorism. It has to be brought back in the FATF Grey list...' 6. An all-party Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SCP) MP Supriya Sule, paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Indian Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as part of their diplomatic outreach visit. 7. In Colombia, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading the all-party delegation to the South American country, confirmed Bogota's withdrawal of the controversial statement after meeting Vice Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio and her senior colleagues. India has sent several all-party delegations to showcase India's resolve against terrorism and garner international support for a united stand against this global threat. The Indian government's diplomatic outreach efforts aim to strengthen partnerships with countries in East and Southeast Asia, emphasising the need for a collective response to the threat of terrorism. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam terror attack, with India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7. Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9, and 10. The Indian side responded strongly to the Pakistani actions.
India Gazette
11 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Pakistan used its nuclear power to shield its terrorist activities": Baijayant Panda stresses India's stance against terrorism
Algiers [Algeria], June 1 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Baijayant Panda, who is leading an all-party delegation to Algeria, slammed Pakistan on Saturday (local time), highlighting that the neighbouring country is using its nuclear power to shield its terrorist activities. Addressing the Algerian media, members of think tanks and the Indian diaspora, Baijayant Panda said, 'Pakistan has used its nuclear power to shield its terrorist training, funding and arming program. When I say that they have been doing this with terrorists openly, it is not just me saying it. You can look it up on the internet. Everybody knows Pakistan has done this many times in the past.' Referring to Pakistan's support in hiding Osama Bin Laden in the country, Panda said, 'Remember Osama bin Laden, for years, they used to lie until the Americans intervened and took him out. They are doing the same thing, except there are 52 Osama bin Ladens.' 'The United Nations Security Council, of which Algeria is a member today, has sanctioned and banned a number of terrorist organisations and individuals, among them 52 terror organisations and terrorists are openly operating in Pakistan today,' he added. Additionally, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey slammed Pakistan, saying, 'Since 1980, they (Pakistan) have been spending 20-25 per cent of their budget for Defence. IMF, Saudi Arabia, and the US give them loans. 80 per cent of their economy is on loans only... Their economy is in such a condition that any day, they can be the next Somalia or Sudan. Any country giving them any help will lose its money. ' 'In 1972, we gifted them (Pakistan) back their 93,000 soldiers, still, 54 of our army personnel are in Pakistani jail, they didn't returned them to date. This is Pakistan, and that's why we are here,' he added. Joining the criticism, Rajya Sabha MP Rekha Sharma noted that Pakistan has repeatedly orchestrated these terrorist attacks on India. 'It is not the first time that we are facing such a challenge. Time and again, Pakistan has done this. But this time, our Prime Minister said, we will not take it any further... They (Pakistan) started every war, but we finished on our own terms, and the same thing happened again,' Rekha Sharma The delegation also observed a moment of silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the Pakistan-sponsored terror attack in Pahalgam. Baijayant Panda-led delegation includes senior parliamentarians and officials such as Nishikant Dubey, S. Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma, Asaduddin Owaisi, Satnam Singh Sandhu, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla. India has sent several all-party delegations to showcase India's resolve against terrorism and garner international support for a united stand against this global threat. The Indian government's diplomatic outreach efforts aim to strengthen partnerships with countries in East and Southeast Asia, emphasising the need for a collective response to the threat of terrorism. (ANI)
Mint
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Op Sindoor delegations: Ravi Shankar Prasad's team visits London; Baijayant Panda says 'there are 52 Osama bin Ladens'
BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad-led all-party delegation reached London on Saturday as part of India's efforts to reach out to partner countries to highlight its firm stance against cross-border terrorism and its policy of zero-tolerance to terrorism. Meanwhile, BJP MP Baijayant Panda slammed Pakistan in Algeria. 1. An all-party delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad arrived in London on Saturday to reiterate India's zero-tolerance stance on terrorism. Upon his arrival, Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "We are here in London. We will keep our stance on terrorism effectively, here. We believe that we will get that support here as well, the way we have received the support in those three countries." The multi-party delegation, comprising MPs Daggubati Purandeswari, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Ghulam Ali Khatana, Amar Singh, Samik Bhattacharya, M Thambidurai and former Union minister of state MJ Akbar and Ambassador Pankaj Saran, is scheduled to meet with community groups, think tanks, parliamentarians and diaspora leaders. The delegation landed in the UK after completing visits to France, Italy, and Denmark, where they engaged with government officials, diaspora, and other stakeholders to raise awareness about India's zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism. From the UK, the delegation will head for discussions and meetings with a cross-section of parliamentarians, political leaders and diaspora groups in the European Union (EU) and Germany. 2. Earlier during the Denmark leg of the visit, Ravi Shankar Prasad strongly responded to a group of Pakistani nationals who raised anti-India slogans outside a venue hosting the Indian delegation in Copenhagen. He dismissed the protest as an act of "desperation" and advised people to "ignore them with impunity" "I was very surprised to see Pakistanis here raising programme is going very are getting wide handlers in Pakistan must have told them to do something. They have come here in desperation. Pakistan is a desperate country that lives in desperation. Ignore them with impunity," Prasad said. 3. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Baijayant Panda, who is leading an all-party delegation to Algeria, hit out at Pakistan on Saturday (local time), highlighting that the neighbouring country is using its nuclear power to shield its terrorist activities. Referring to Pakistan's support in hiding Osama Bin Laden in the country, Panda was quoted by ANI as saying, "Remember Osama bin Laden, for years, they used to lie until the Americans intervened and took him out. They are doing the same thing, except there are 52 Osama bin Ladens." "The United Nations Security Council, of which Algeria is a member today, has sanctioned and banned a number of terrorist organisations and individuals, among them 52 terror organisations and terrorists are openly operating in Pakistan today," he added. The Group 1 delegation, led by Baijayant Panda, Member of Parliament and former Minister, includes senior parliamentarians and officials such as Dr. Nishikant Dubey, S. Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma, Asaduddin Owaisi, Satnam Singh Sandhu, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla. 4. Group 6 of the all-party delegation, led by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, arrived in Madrid. AAP MP Dr Ashok Kumar Mittal said, "This is our last destination in this tour. We will meet the Indian diaspora first and tell them about Operation Sindoor. Then, we will meet the people from the government, intellectuals, and academia. We will convey our message that India is determined to eliminate Pakistan-sponsored terrorism from India and the entire world." 5. AIMIM chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi said in Algeria, "It's not only a question of South Asia. We are the 4th largest economy. What will happen? Do you want all this carnage to spread to different parts of South Asia? No. It is in the interest of world peace to control Pakistan, which is the main sponsor of terrorism. It has to be brought back in the FATF Grey list..." 6. An all-party Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SCP) MP Supriya Sule, paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Indian Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as part of their diplomatic outreach visit. 7. In Colombia, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading the all-party delegation to the South American country, confirmed Bogota's withdrawal of the controversial statement after meeting Vice Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio and her senior colleagues. India has sent several all-party delegations to showcase India's resolve against terrorism and garner international support for a united stand against this global threat. The Indian government's diplomatic outreach efforts aim to strengthen partnerships with countries in East and Southeast Asia, emphasising the need for a collective response to the threat of terrorism. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam terror attack, with India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7. Pakistan attempted 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.
India Gazette
16 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Pakistan cannot be allowed to host terror camps in violation of UNSC norms, says MP Baijayant Panda
Algiers [Algeria], June 1 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Baijayant Panda, during his official visit to Algeria, emphasised the strong and long-standing ties between India and Algeria, particularly highlighting their shared experiences in combating terrorism. In the wake of the tragic Pahalgam terror attack, Panda shared that prayers were held in Algeria for the victims, underlining the solidarity between the two nations. Speaking to ANI, Panda said, 'Algeria is known as a champion of counter-terrorism. The African Union has taken many steps, and so also in the United Nations Security Council and in other formats as well. Now, India and Algeria have a long relationship because even during its freedom struggle, Algeria got a lot of moral and other support from India'. He noted that both countries have been victims of terrorism. 'Both countries have faced terror attacks. Algeria has, in fact, had terror attacks by these Salafist jihadis who were trained in Pakistan. So we have that commonality as well. And then Algeria had this decade called the Black Decade of 1990 to 2000, where it had a very, very terrible time with multiple terror attacks. So they certainly understand where we are coming from, and they have given unequivocal statements condemning the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which killed innocent Indians,' he said. Panda also spoke about ongoing meetings in Algeria aimed at reinforcing the principle of zero tolerance towards terrorism. He said, 'This (terrorism) is an issue that not only resonates with Algeria, but like I said, they have taken concrete steps on this on many occasions and so we are very confident that we will make good progress in the discussions here with Algeria to take a stand that in this era of zero tolerance for terrorism, Pakistan simply cannot be allowed to have terrorist training camps openly flouting United Nations Security Council prescriptions because Algeria is a member of the Security Council today. So that is something that we are going to be pursuing. We are also going to be taking up other issues about how terrorism can be rooted out from Pakistani soil that hit India and others.' Sharing details of the places which were visited by the Indian delegation in Algeria, Panda said, 'We had gone to the National Museum and Martyrs' Memorial here in Algiers and saw the depiction of the struggle that the Algerian people had against colonialism. This is something that they share very much with India's experience and also the fight that they have had against terrorism. We were humbled by that experience, seeing the great many sacrifices that the Algerian people had made and we commented accordingly in the Visitor's book.' Significantly, he noted, 'We had gone to The Basilica of Notre Dame, which is a large church built 200 years ago on top of a mountain facing the sea. Immediately after the Pahalgam attacks on 22nd April, a service was held there praying for the victims of the terror attack. We had also gone there and we lit candles...' 'We received a lot of sympathy from the people. It is very clear that when it comes to our discussions with Algeria, we are on the same page', BJP MP Baijayant Panda said. The Group 1 delegation, led by Baijayant Panda, Member of Parliament and former Minister, includes senior parliamentarians and officials such as Dr. Nishikant Dubey, S. Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma, Asaduddin Owaisi, Satnam Singh Sandhu, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla. India has sent several all-party delegations to showcase India's resolve against terrorism and garner international support for a united stand against this global threat. The Indian government's diplomatic outreach efforts aim to strengthen partnerships with countries in East and Southeast Asia, emphasising the need for a collective response to the threat of terrorism. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. Indian armed forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the death of over 100 terrorists affiliated with terror outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. After the attack, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling across the Line of Control and Jammu and Kashmir as well as attempted drone attacks along the border regions, following which India launched a coordinated attack and damaged radar infrastructure, communication centres and airfields across 11 airbases in Pakistan. After this, on May 10, an understanding regarding the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan was announced. (ANI)
India Gazette
20 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Algeria wants to support us": All-party member Nishikant Dubey
Algiers [Algeria], May 31 (ANI): BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who is a member of the all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda as part of Modi government's big diplomatic outreach, stated on Saturday that Algeria played a very 'big role' in the resolution that was passed against Pakistan in the UN Security Council after the Pahalgam attack... The Baijayant Panda-led delegation visited several important sites in Algeria, including the Church of Notre Dame, where they lit candles in memory of the victims of the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack. 'Algeria is a temporary member of the UNSC. It is a very important member of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation), and its economy in African countries is the second biggest after South Africa. They have given high priority to our delegation. All the protocol officers of the Government of Algeria are working for us. They have made us state guests. Algeria wants to support us, Algeria played a very big role in the resolution that was passed against Pakistan in the UN Security Council after the Pahalgam attack...' While in Algeria, the all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda visited Maqam Echahid, the National Martyrs Memorial and then the National Mujahid Museum. They also visited the Church of Notre Dame d'Afrique in Algiers and lit candles in memory of the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The Group 1 delegation includes senior parliamentarians and officials such as Nishikant Dubey, S. Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma, Asaduddin Owaisi, Satnam Singh Sandhu, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla. India has sent several all-party delegations to showcase India's resolve against terrorism and garner international support for a united stand against this global threat. The Indian government's diplomatic outreach efforts aim to strengthen partnerships with countries in East and Southeast Asia, emphasising the need for a collective response to the threat of terrorism. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. Indian armed forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the death of over 100 terrorists affiliated with terror outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. After the attack, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling across the Line of Control and Jammu and Kashmir as well as attempted drone attacks along the border regions, following which India launched a coordinated attack and damaged radar infrastructure, communication centres and airfields across 11 airbases in Pakistan. After this, on May 10, an understanding regarding the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan was announced. (ANI)
