JOHANNESBURG— Indian Members of Parliament, currently visiting South Africa, have called for international support for “Operation Sindoor,” a campaign launched in response to a recent deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking during an interaction with the Indian diaspora in Johannesburg, Supriya Sule, a Lok Sabha MP from the NCP-SCP and leader of the delegation, recalled how the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, reached out to neighbouring nations in 2014 with a peace-first approach, but said those overtures had been betrayed.
“When PM Modi invited regional leaders to his oath ceremony, the message was peace and shared progress,” said Sule. “But what happened in Pahalgam shattered that hope. Innocent lives were lost in a barbaric manner. This act has wounded every Indian—no matter where they live.”
Sule said the objective of Operation Sindoor is to demonstrate that India will not remain silent in the face of terrorism. “This initiative should not remain confined to India’s borders. The attack was a strike at the heart of the nation. We want peace, but never at the cost of our innocent citizens,” she told attendees in Johannesburg.
All-party delegation led by Hon’ble MP @supriya_sule interacted with Indian community in South Africa 🇿🇦. They emphasized India’s national consensus and collective resolve against terrorism in all its forms. Commended the wholehearted support of Indian diaspora 🇮🇳 to eradicate… pic.twitter.com/pgkgHbN5Jv
— India in SouthAfrica (@hci_pretoria) May 27, 2025
The Pahalgam attack, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians, was reportedly carried out by The Resistance Front (TRF), a terror group with suspected backing from Pakistan.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur, also part of the delegation, said India’s response was swift and calculated. “Fifteen days passed and Pakistan remained silent. Our armed forces responded by targeting nine terror hubs. Even the attackers admitted loss. One reportedly said, ‘Ten from my family have died. It would have been better if I died too.’”
Thakur condemned Pakistan for harbouring terrorist entities, stating that over 50 groups and individuals with ties to terrorism are listed under United Nations Security Council sanctions and are linked to Pakistan.
#OperationSindoor #ZeroToleranceForTerrorism pic.twitter.com/90QZsi2ucR
— India in SouthAfrica (@hci_pretoria) May 27, 2025
Congress MP Manish Tewari added that terrorism, regardless of its source, must be dismantled globally. “This is evil in its purest form. What happened in Pahalgam—executions in front of families—is unacceptable anywhere. We are reaching out to the world to stop those who use terrorism as state policy,” he said.
The Indian delegation landed in Johannesburg on May 27 as part of a broader mission to engage South African leaders and communities on counter-terrorism cooperation. The group is scheduled to visit Cape Town today for meetings with members of Parliament and key ministers.
Among the delegation are senior political figures from across party lines including Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Vikramjeet Singh Sahney, Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Anand Sharma, V Muraleedharan, and Syed Akbaruddin, India’s former permanent representative to the UN.
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