JD-U MP Sanjay Kumar Jha heads a diplomatic mission to Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and Singapore, to seek international cooperation after the Pahalgam attack while highlighting Pakistan's role in cross-border terrorism.
Also seen are Janata Dal-United MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, former ambassador Mohan Kumar, BJP MP Dr Hemang Joshi, CPI-M MP John Brittas, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, BJP MP Pradan Baruah and Congress leader Salman Khurshid.
Ambassador Sibi George, India's envoy to Japan, was also present. Photograph: ANI Photo
As part of India's diplomatic outreach following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack a cross-party delegation led by Janata Dal-United MP Sanjay Kumar Jha has embarked on a visit to seven Asian nations.
The mission seeks to rally international support against cross-border terrorism and expose Pakistan's role in fostering extremist networks.
Sanjay Kumar Jha
The Rajya Sabha MP has emerged as the Janata Dal-United's national face and serves as the JD-U's working president.
Tasked with leading India's Operation Sindoor outreach to Japan and Southeast Asia, Jha is spearheading efforts to expose Pakistan's terror links post-Pahalgam.
Aparajita Sarangi
On her left are Sanjay Kumar Jha, the JD-U MP and leader of the delegation, and TMC Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee and to her right, BJP MP Brij Lal. Photograph: Sansad TV/ANI Photo
A former IAS officer and the BJP MP from Bhubaneswar since 2019, Sarangi is a rising force in Odisha politics.
Abhishek Banerjee
The Trinamool Congress MP and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was a last minute addition to the delegation, replacing TMC MP and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan.
Seen as his aunt Mamata Banerjee's political heir, the two-time MP from Diamond Harbour brings political weight to the delegation tasked with exposing Pakistan's terror links post-Pahalgam.
Brij Lal
An IPS officer from the 1977 batch, he served as UP's DGP under Mayawati before joining the BJP in 2015.
Dr John Brittas
The CPI-M Rajya Sabha MP is known for his sharp intervention in parliamentary debates. Brittas headed Kairali TV -- the CPI-M television channel in Kerala -- before entering Parliament in 2021.
Pradhan Barua
A two-term BJP MP (representing Lakhimpur in Assam) is known for vocally backing Narendra Modi's security agenda.
Dr Hemang Joshi
The young BJP MP from Vadodara dubbed Operation Sindoor as a 'surgical strike on terrorism'.
Salman Khurshid
An Oxford-educated lawyer, the grandson of a former President (Dr Zakir Hussain) and a former external affairs minister (2012-2014), Khurshid cautiously supports Operation Sindoor as 'necessary', but urges transparency to maintain global trust, reflecting the Congress' stance.
Khurshid has insisted he is not the government's 'football', asserting his independent position despite political exigencies.
Ambassador Mohan Kumar
Known for negotiating key climate agreements and fostering India-France defence ties, Kumar chairs the Council for Strategic and Defence Research post-retirement, advocating multilateralism.
Kumar has subtly endorsed Operation Sindoor as aligning with India's 'right to pre-emptive self-defence', urging partners to 'differentiate between State and non-State terrorism'.
Controversy touched his career in 2017 when his remarks at a Paris conference -- suggesting 'human rights concerns shouldn't paralyse counter-terrorism' -- drew flak from civil society. Critics accused him of legitimising authoritarian measures, though he later clarified his position.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
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