New Delhi, June 11 (IANS) As Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted members of the all-party delegation on ‘Operation Sindoor’, including senior leaders Shashi Tharoor and Ghulam Nabi Azad, a senior Congress MP on Wednesday downplayed the significance of the meeting, calling it “just a formality” aimed at creating an illusion of political unity.

PM Modi had earlier shared on social media platform X on Tuesday: “Met members of the various delegations who represented India in different countries and elaborated on India’s commitment to peace and the need to eradicate the menace of terrorism. We are all proud of the manner in which they put forward India’s voice.”

Speaking with IANS, Congress MP Tariq Anwar said, “This was only a formality to show that all parties are united, which is far from the truth. There was no substantial outcome. After the delegation returned, a report was submitted to the Prime Minister, but no clear achievement was mentioned.”

Anwar expressed concern over what he termed a diplomatic failure.

“Our objective was to isolate Pakistan on the global stage and expose its role in terrorism. But that mission was not fulfilled. Ironically, Pakistan still enjoys substantial international support — it has been made co-chair in United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and chairs a US-formed committee to monitor the Taliban in Afghanistan. Pakistan also got funds from the World Bank and other global institutions like the IMF.”

He said that despite the delegation’s efforts, India’s diplomatic outreach has not managed to shift the global narrative.

“We sent this delegation with the hope of creating international pressure on Pakistan, but nothing has changed. The exercise turned out to be ceremonial rather than strategic,” he told IANS.

When asked whether the Opposition will demand a special session of Parliament to discuss ‘Operation Sindoor’, Anwar responded, “We’ve been consistently demanding it. I don’t understand why the Prime Minister is avoiding it.

“This was a major incident — 26 innocent Indians lost their lives in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Yet the attackers, who infiltrated 300 kilometres into our territory, remain at large. They executed the strike and escaped. Our Army, police, and Intelligence agencies failed to track them. Such a grave security lapse needs to be scrutinised thoroughly.”

Meanwhile, the Opposition is intensifying pressure on the government.

Leaders from 16 parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party, and Shiv Sena (UBT), met in New Delhi on June 3 and signed a joint letter addressed to Prime Minister Modi, formally requesting a special session of Parliament to deliberate on ‘Operation Sindoor’ and India’s evolving counter-terrorism strategy.

–IANS

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