“PR exercise to dodge real issues”: Jairam Ramesh slams Op Sindoor's global outreach

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has strongly criticised the Centre's global outreach campaign under Operation Sindoor, terming it a diversion from pressing domestic security concerns, including the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack. The campaign involves sending multi-party delegations to key international capitals to project India’s united stand against terrorism, especially state-sponsored threats from Pakistan.

Ramesh called the move a "public relations exercise" orchestrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to shift the spotlight away from critical internal discussions. He questioned the government’s reluctance to convene a special session of Parliament to address the Pahalgam attack and other national security issues, including Pakistan's role in terrorism and its strategic alignment with China.

The Congress leader pointed out that two all-party meetings had already taken place without the presence of the Prime Minister. He said senior opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge had written to the PM demanding a special parliamentary session, but the Centre instead announced the formation of delegations as a counter-narrative.

Meanwhile, JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, who is leading one of the seven international delegations, defended the outreach, stating that the delegations aim to expose Pakistan’s role in promoting terrorism. Their destinations include Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The delegations consist of MPs from various parties, including Congress, BJP, JD(U), DMK, and NCP.

These all-party teams will carry India's strong message of zero tolerance towards terrorism to countries that are strategic allies or members of the UN Security Council. The initiative is intended to reflect national consensus and underscore India’s global commitment to fighting cross-border terrorism in all forms.