An all-party Indian parliamentary delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Jha on Monday met with Yun Ho-jung, Chairperson of the Korea-India Parliamentary Friendship Group, and several South Korean lawmakers and think tanks.
The delegation briefed them on the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and India’s precise retaliatory response under Operation Sindoor, reiterating India’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism.
During the interaction, the delegation emphasized India’s long-standing position of making no distinction between terrorists and the states that support them, and called for South Korea’s support in bringing perpetrators, organisations, and financers of terrorism to justice.
Yun Ho-jung reaffirmed South Korea’s strong and unequivocal stance against terrorism, saying that any act of terrorism is unacceptable and cannot be justified and that the loss of innocent lives must never be condoned.
In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Seoul confirmed the delegation’s outreach: “The delegation apprised them about the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam and the subsequent precise, measured, responsible, and non-escalatory response made by India. They further reiterated India’s firm zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and made no distinction between terrorists and the country supporting them. They also highlighted India’s ‘No First Use Policy’ and rejection of any nuclear blackmail. They conveyed our resolute stance to respond firmly to any act of terrorism.”
The Embassy added that the participating South Korean think tanks condemned the terrorist attack and extended their solidarity with India, as well as its zero-tolerance policy against terrorism. They also discussed ways in which India, South Korea and the international community can work together to combat terrorism.
Sanjay Jha explained that India has sent seven such delegations globally as part of a coordinated diplomatic campaign to raise awareness about the April 22 attack—in which 26 innocent tourists were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists in Pahalgam—and India’s subsequent measured response on May 7, targeting terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
“All terrorists came from Pakistan, who were trained and financed there, it happened earlier in the 2008 Mumbai attack,” Jha said,” said Jha.
BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi drew a parallel between South Korea’s tension with North Korea and India’s security challenges with Pakistan, underscoring a shared experience of living under the threat of hostile neighbors.
“Pakistan is a habitual offender when it comes to terrorist activities. Since its creation in 1947–48, there has been a continuous series of terrorist actions aimed at destabilising India. They have tried repeatedly, though they have not succeeded. Our Prime Minister has talked about a ‘new normal’ and we solicit your support in this entire war against terrorism,” said Sarangi.
TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee also addressed the Korean side, calling out Pakistan’s global conduct.
“Any support extended to Pakistan is effectively support for a terror organisation. Anyone endorsing or defending Pakistan’s actions is, in essence, backing terrorism. Why do I say this? I have compelling reasons. Take the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, for instance, an incident the world witnessed in horror. A total of 166 innocent people were killed by terrorists, including citizens from 26 different countries, not just India,” he said.
“The prime accused, who was then arrested by the Indian law enforcement agencies, confessed that he was trained and raised in Pakistan. And when the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack was carried out, we expected Pakistan to do justice and bring the perpetrators to book. India waited patiently and eventually carried out the airstrikes on May 7 after waiting for 14 days. The airstrikes were carried out with such precision that India successfully destroyed nine terror infrastructures without endangering a single civilian life,” Banerjee added.
The delegation led by Jha includes BJP MPs Aparajita Sarangi and Brij Lal, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Barittas, and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid.
(With inputs from IANS)