Mumbai, May 17 (IANS) Senior Maharashtra Congress leader Husain Dalwai on Saturday welcomed the central government’s initiative on constituting an all-party parliamentary delegation that will visit major global partner nations, including member countries of the United Nations Security Council, to share information about India’s anti-terrorism policies, military actions, and ‘Operation Sindoor’. He called it a commendable step toward exposing the real face of Pakistan on the international stage.

Speaking to IANS, Dalwai emphasised the need to highlight, at global forums, the damage inflicted on India — especially Jammu and Kashmir — by Pakistan.

He stated that, for the first time, the government is including leaders from all political parties in such a delegation, allowing a united front to present the truth about Pakistan’s activities.

Questions were raised over the inclusion of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in the delegation, as his name was not on the Congress’ official list.

Clarifying the matter, Dalwai said, “The government itself included Shashi Tharoor in the delegation. The Congress had finalised and submitted four names. If there are any internal concerns, the party’s central committee will address them.”

Tharoor’s recent praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sparked speculation that this may be the reason for his exclusion from the Congress’ submitted list.

Responding to this, Dalwai noted, “If a leader adopts an independent political stance, the party certainly takes it into consideration. However, such decisions lie with the party leadership.”

Dalwai also described the government’s delegation initiative as a step in the right direction. He said this is the first time the BJP-led government is seriously sending a multi-party delegation abroad to present the extent of damage caused by Pakistan.

He emphasised the importance of gaining international support, particularly on the Kashmir issue. Citing recent Pakistani statements, Dalwai remarked that India’s military operations have created panic across the border.

“Had our soldiers been given a little more time, Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) might also have been freed,” he added.

Commenting on the INDIA bloc, Dalwai stated that the coalition remains intact. He confirmed that Opposition parties in Maharashtra will contest the upcoming Zilla Parishad and Municipal Corporation elections together.

“Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole recently met Uddhav Thackeray, and it has been decided that we will fight these elections unitedly,” he concluded.

This comes after senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday praised the BJP, describing it as “formidably organised” across all fronts. However, he also expressed doubts about the unity of the INDIA bloc, admitting he was uncertain whether the Opposition alliance remained intact.

–IANS

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