Johannesburg [South Africa], May 30 : An Indian all-party delegation led by NCP-SCP leader Supriya Sule held a joint press conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the ongoing diplomatic outreach mission following Operation Sindoor.
Speaking at the press conference on Thursday (local time), Sule reflected on the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, whose shared values of non-violence and peace bind India and South Africa.
"India has always globally led for peace and the deep relationship, friendship we have had with South Africa, the country of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela - two sons of this global soil who have always talked about non-violence. So, we feel very close to South Africa."
Sule addressed the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, including a Nepali National.
"We have come here to South Africa to tell people of South Africa what really happened in India five weeks ago. There was a brutal attack on India's soul. Twenty-six innocent people on vacation were shot. It is a very unfortunate event," Sule said.
Sule further stressed India's democratic ethos, stating, "In any vibrant democracy, we should accept what the will of the people is. That's the beauty of democracy. India is a vibrant democracy, and it globally accepts all democratically elected governments. India is very sensitive to any such thing happening anywhere in the world. We are very sensitive to such things, and if there's any way in which India can help, we would be glad to do that."
Additionally, Congress MP Manish Tewari, also part of the delegation, highlighted the bipartisan nature of the group as a reflection of India's unified stance against terrorism. He said, "India is a very diverse multi-party democracy. So, on this platform you have people representing different political parties, from the Government to the Opposition."
Tewari underscored India's position on cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
He said, "The manner in which this delegation has been structured and the way in which it has been constituted is to convey our 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 that are its pawns then under those circumstances it is our national resolve that under no circumstances would that be tolerable. India then reserves the right to energise the full spectrum of options that are available to it in order to protect and defend its national interest."
The members of the delegation comprise of MPs Supriya Sule, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Vikramjeet Singh Sahney, Manish Tewari, Anurag Singh Thakur, Lavu Sri Krishna devarayalu, Anand Sharma, former Minister of Commerce & Industry, V Muraleedharan, Former Minister of State for External Affairs, and Syed Akbaruddin, Former Permanent Representative of India to the UN.
Earlier, the delegation also visited Constitution Hill, Johannesburg, where Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned, and also saw the Mandela-Gandhi Exhibition inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi and paid floral tribute at the Gandhi Statue.
On April 22, terrorists killed 26 people, including a Nepalese national, in Baisaran valley in the popular tourist destination of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir. India launched 'Operation Sindoor' on May 7 in response to the attack, which targeted 9 terror bases and led to the death of terrorists affiliated with terror outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.