Riyadh: The all-party Indian delegation, led by BJP MP Baijayant Jay Panda, on Friday concluded a “productive” visit to Saudi Arabia, reasserting India’s zero-tolerance and ‘New Normal’ approach to terrorism during its interaction with a range of political and diplomatic leadership.
“The visit reaffirmed the shared commitment of India-Saudi Arabia in the fight against terrorism,” said a post on X by the Indian Embassy here.
On departure, Maj Gen Abdulrahman Alharbi, Chair of the Saudi-India Friendship Committee of the Shura Council, bid farewell to the delegation, it added.
“Concluded a highly productive visit in Saudi Arabia, reaffirming the deep India-Saudi Arabia strategic partnership — from defence and security to trade and counter-terrorism,” Panda said in a post on X.
The Indian delegation met with and appreciated the contributions of the Indian diaspora to the development of India and highlighted that “Saudi Arabia has always stood with India in condemning acts of terrorism,” said a statement from the Indian Embassy on Thursday.
After meeting the Indian diaspora, Panda said: “We have had very fruitful discussions in Saudi Arabia and other countries we have visited. Here in Riyadh, we have met senior officials, leaders, media, and of course, the Indian diaspora.
“We have very clearly conveyed India's position and the threat that we have faced from cross-border terrorism. India has a deep relationship with Saudi Arabia... Stands taken on terrorism are the same,” he told PTI Videos.
Delegation member, Ambassador Harsh Shringla, said in a post on X that he was “Privileged to address representatives of a 2.7 million strong Indian community in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on the cold, calculated act of cross-border terrorism in Pahalgam and the consequences of such actions under India’s New Normal.”
“Our Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia continues to make India proud through its success, contributions & standing in local society. Today, our all-party delegation engaged with them, sharing India’s united national stance, the success of Operation Sindoor, and our unwavering commitment to combat cross-border terrorism with a zero-tolerance approach,” Panda said in another post on X.
Another member, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was here in Saudi Arabia when the Pahalgam terror attack happened.
“.... Saudi Arabia acknowledged cross-border terrorism. We met a lot of people here, and everyone stands with India in our fight against terrorism. … I can guarantee that Pakistan will not be spared anymore if it tries to attack us again,” he told PTI Videos.
Earlier on Thursday, the delegation visited the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences to share strong concerns about cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. They had a “meaningful exchange” with university President Dr Abdulmajeed bin Abdullah Al-Bunyan, and also toured key facilities at the university, including the Forensic Lab and Security Digital Library.
The Indian team also visited the think tank Gulf Research Centre here and had a “frank & productive exchange of views” with its chairman Dr Abdulaziz Sager.
Earlier on Wednesday, the delegation members met Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir and visited the Shura Council, a governmental body with regulatory authority.
They also held separate meetings with Deputy Speaker Mishaal Al-Sulami; Maj Gen Abdulrahman Alharbi, chair of the India-Saudi Friendship Committee, and Mushabab Al-Qahtani, DG, Prince Saud Al Faisal Institute of Diplomatic Studies.
The Embassy hosted a dinner interaction for distinguished personalities from Saudi civil society, which gave an opportunity for further discussions about countering terrorism as well as broader topics related to India-Saudi bilateral partnership, the Embassy statement added.
Besides Panda and Shringla, other members of the delegation are AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, former chairperson of the National Commission for Women and Rajya Sabha MP Rekha Sharma, BJP MP Phangnon Konyak and Satnam Singh Sandhu.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was also a part of the delegation, was admitted to a hospital after the Bahrain leg of the multi-country visit.
The delegation had visited Bahrain and Kuwait before arriving in Riyadh on Tuesday.
The delegation is one of the seven multi-party delegations India has tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community to emphasize Pakistan’s links to terrorism.
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.
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