All-party delegation in Italy underscores India's firm stance on terrorism

An all-party delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar has met senior Italian officials to reaffirm India's "zero-tolerance" stance on terrorism and New Delhi's resolve to combat all forms of terror.
The eight-member team is one of the seven multi-party delegations India has tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community on Pakistan's designs and India's response to terror.
The group, which arrived in Rome on Tuesday, had a "productive" meeting with former foreign minister Giulio Terzi on Wednesday.
"Led by Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, the All-Party Indian Parliamentary Delegation, had a productive meeting with Senator @GiulioTerzi, President of the India-Italy Parliamentary Friendship Group and its Members," the Indian embassy in Rome said in a post on X.
"The Indian delegation voiced India's resolute stance on combating terrorism and zero tolerance to all forms of terror," it said.
Both sides also reaffirmed the significance of India-Italy strategic partnership and the potential for elevating bilateral cooperation.
The delegation also held an interaction with Italy's Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Maria Tripodi.
"Constructive exchange with the Indian parliamentary delegation visiting the @SenatoStampa. Italy and India united by strategic partnership, work together to address the common challenges of our time," Tripodi said in an X post.
"She reiterated commitment for the India-Italy strategic partnership and for countering terrorism," the embassy said.
The group also met the Committee on Foreign Affairs and European Commission and its president, Senator Giulio Tremonti.
"The Indian side highlighted India's unwavering commitment to combat terrorism and the national consensus on zero tolerance against terrorism," the embassy said in a separate post, adding that Tremonti "appreciated" the outreach and spoke about the "shared positions on terrorism".
"He underscored the need for a regular dialogue about terrorism," it added.
The delegation also interacted with a cross-section of the Indian community here and shared the national resolve to "counter-terrorism and take firm actions against cross-border terrorism," the embassy said.
"We also expressed our appreciation for the valuable contributions of the Indian diaspora and their deep-rooted connections to their homeland," Prasad said in a post on X.
In separate meetings, the delegation also engaged with Italian news agencies, journalists and major think tanks and strategic experts, briefing them about India's stance on cross-border terrorism, Operation Sindoor, as well as New Delhi's "new normal of a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism", and its resolve to combat all forms of terrorism.
This delegation visited France before arriving in Italy. It will also travel to Denmark, Germany, the UK, and the European Union in Brussels.
About two weeks after the horrific April 22 Pahalgam attack, in which 26 civilians were killed, India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7 under Operation Sindoor, following which Pakistan attempted to attack the Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10. The Indian side responded strongly to the Pakistani actions.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The Hindu

an hour ago

• The Hindu

West Bengal BJP chief faces flak over ‘sex workers' remark

West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar has landed into a controversy for a remark directed at sex workers in Kolkata's Sonagachi area. The Trinamool Congress on Saturday (June 21, 2025) criticised Mr. Majumdar's remarks and demanded an 'unconditional apology' from the BJP leader. During an altercation with the police on Friday (June 20, 2025), Mr. Majumdar compared Bengal's law and order situation with 'sex workers.' Several leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress spoke against Mr. Majumdar and said that not only the BJP leader insulted sex workers but all the women in the State. 'Sex workers are among the most marginalised and exploited women in our society. They battle stigma, survive abuse, and yet show unimaginable courage just to feed themselves and their children. And what did @BJP4IndiaState President @DrSukantaBJP do? He dragged them through the mud, using their lives and livelihoods as a slur to attack the people of Bengal. Shame on you, BJP. And shame on you, Sukanta Majumdar. You owe every sex worker, every woman, and every resident of Bengal an UNCONDITIONAL APOLOGY,' the TMC posted on X. .@BJP4India State President @DrSukantaBJP owes sex workers an UNCONDITIONAL APOLOGY for his DISGRACEFUL, DEHUMANISING remarks. Using one of the most vulnerable groups in our society as a punchline for political mudslinging is INEXCUSABLE. Those who spew such filth have no moral… — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) June 21, 2025 Senior Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh said that the BJP leader was referring to sex workers of Sonagachi as an 'expletive'. West Bengal Minister Sashi Panja said that though Sukanta Majumdar claims to be a teacher, but his remarks are 'very disgusting, very disparaging and very disgraceful'. 'He has said that the law and order situation or the law in Bengal can be equated to Songachi sex workers. This is so humiliating to Sonagachi sex workers and we stand by them.' Dr Panja, who represents the constituency where Sonagachi is located. The West Bengal ruling party said using one of the 'most vulnerable groups in our society as a punchline for political mudslinging is inexcusable' and added that those 'who spew such filth have no moral right to occupy any Constitutional office'. The remark by the BJP president comes at a time when the BJP leadership is demanding action against Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal, who used vile language against the mother and wife of the officer-in-charge of Bolpur Police station. An FIR has been filed against Mr. Mondal and the National Commission for Women has sought an action taken report from the police for the TMC leader's remarks. While the police are of the opinion that there is no necessity to arrest the TMC leader, the State ruling has let off Anubrata Mondal without any punishment after he tendered a public apology.

Indian Express

an hour ago

• Indian Express

Neighbourhood policy at work: India to fly home Nepal, Sri Lanka citizens from Iran

In a major diplomatic outreach to its neighbours, India said Saturday it will evacuate nationals of Nepal and Sri Lanka who are stranded in Iran and want to leave the country. Officials in Delhi framed it as an example of India's 'neighbourhood first policy' — of helping its neighbours in times of crisis, be it conflict, natural calamity or pandemic. This announcement came on the day two more flights, operated by the Iranian Mahan Air, landed in Delhi. The Indian embassy in Tehran, in a post on X, said, 'On request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy's evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka.' 'The citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka may urgently reach out to the Embassy, either on the Telegram channel or over the emergency contact numbers: +989010144557;+989128109115; +989128109109,' it stated. Nepal's Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba expressed Kathmandu's gratitude. In a post on X, she thanked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar 'for India's swift assistance in helping to evacuate Nepali nationals from Iran'. 'India's support in Nepal's evacuation efforts is a reflection of the strength of Nepal-India ties,' she said. Sources said about 16 Nepal nationals are in touch with the Nepalese embassy in Delhi. Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a post, said, 'Sri Lanka extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of India for the timely assistance to evacuate Sri Lankan nationals from Iran alongside Indian citizens. This act of solidarity exemplifies the strong and enduring partnership between Sri Lanka and India, and is deeply appreciated by the people of Sri Lanka.' So far, a total of 827 Indians have been evacuated from Iran. 'Another evacuation flight from Mashhad landed in New Delhi at 1630 hrs on 21 June with 310 Indian nationals from Iran. With this, a total of 827 Indians have been evacuated,' Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said. A group of about 290 Indian nationals, including students, reached Delhi late Friday night and early Saturday after being evacuated from Iran as its war with Israel intensified. On Wednesday, India announced the launch of Operation Sindhu to evacuate its nationals from Iran. 'Operation Sindhu flight brings citizens home. India evacuated 290 Indian nationals from Iran, including students and religious pilgrims by a charter flight. The flight arrived in New Delhi at 2330 hrs on 20 June and was received by Secretary (CPV& OIA) Arun Chatterjee,' Jaiswal wrote on X. 'Government of India is grateful to the Government of Iran for the facilitation of the evacuation process,' he said. The first batch of 110 Indian nationals, evacuated under Operation Sindhu, arrived in India Thursday, with many evacuees sharing firsthand accounts of the frightening situation they witnessed before being moved to safer locations. This is not the first time that Delhi has stepped in to evacuate citizens of its neighbours. In the early days of the Ukraine war, India evacuated nationals of neighbouring countries along with its own. Delhi managed to persuade Tehran to open Iranian airspace for the evacuation of around 1,000 Indians via the north-eastern town of Mashhad. Sources said Delhi, after days of negotiations, moved its nationals to Mashhad and secured overflight permissions from Iran and Turkmenistan to fly Indians out of harm's way. Mashhad is close to Iran's border with Turkmenistan, and India found an air corridor for a safe flight out. Indians were moved from Tehran to Qom and then to Mashhad, with the help of the Indian embassy and Iranian authorities. India's ties with Iran and Israel puts it in a delicate spot, where it has to do some diplomatic balancing act. Delhi has strategic stakes with Iran – from Chabahar port to shared concerns on Pakistan and Afghanistan. So, it has been very careful in its statements. It has a very strategic security and defence partnership with Israel as well. Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 25 years now. Roy joined The Indian Express in October 2003 and has been reporting on foreign affairs for more than 17 years now. Based in Delhi, he has also led the National government and political bureau at The Indian Express in Delhi — a team of reporters who cover the national government and politics for the newspaper. He has got the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award for Excellence in Journalism '2016. He got this award for his coverage of the Holey Bakery attack in Dhaka and its aftermath. He also got the IIMCAA Award for the Journalist of the Year, 2022, (Jury's special mention) for his coverage of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 — he was one of the few Indian journalists in Kabul and the only mainstream newspaper to have covered the Taliban's capture of power in mid-August, 2021. ... Read More

Time of India

an hour ago

• Time of India

Former Corporators Ramp Up Public Outreach In Build-Up To Civic Polls

1 2 3 Nagpur: With civic election procedures gaining momentum, former corporators across the city have become increasingly active in reconnecting with their wards and addressing unresolved civic issues, filling the vacuum created by over three years under the civic administration. Already, the senior rung of leaders in the BJP camp, including CM Devendra Fadnavis, Union minister Nitin Gadkari, and even guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, have started holding Janta Darbars. In Prabhag 26, senior BJP leader and former corporator Dharmapal Meshram recently conducted a detailed review of persistent civic problems. Acting on a slew of complaints from residents, particularly dysfunctional street lights and domestic electricity issues, Meshram held meetings with officials from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) and Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). Meshram called a joint meeting involving Mahavitaran officials, party workers, and citizens to address household power issues. He also instructed the electrical department to immediately repair defunct street lights and install new ones where necessary to restore street illumination in the area. With their party in power in the state, former corpoators from the BJP are also ensuring that NMC officials remain present in their wards to address the issue of civic amenities raised by the citizens. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Meshram pressed executive engineers from NMC's electric, NMC's PWD, and even MSEDCL officials to sort out issues of residents. Meshram is not alone. Vijay aka Pintu Zalke, another former corporator, has also intensified his public outreach. Like others, he has been trying to fill the political void left by the dissolution of the NMC's general body in March 2022 which led to bureaucratic governance without elected representation. With polls likely in the coming months, Zalke and others have begun directly engaging with citizens, addressing grievances, and reviving their grassroots presence. Former BJP city chief Jitendra Kukde, too, has returned to active fieldwork in his former ward. "As I was busy with both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections after being appointed city president, I missed regular interactions with people of my Prabhag," said Kukde, who was later replaced by Dayashankar Tiwari. Now out of party office, Kukde is back on the ground, attempting to rebuild his image and rapport with voters. Several ex-corporators have also reopened their contact offices to directly receive complaints. Former women corporators from opposition camps like Sneha Nikose and Shakshi Raut have become proactive, addressing issues like sewer blockages, irregular garbage collection, low water pressure, and damaged public infrastructure. These efforts come as citizens grow increasingly frustrated with the lukewarm response of the civic officials. With many wards still plagued by basic issues — ranging from faulty street lights and choked drains to uncollected garbage — former corporators are leveraging this discontent to re-establish their political relevance. The surge in activity suggests that while the municipal body remains under administrative control, the unofficial race for the civic body's 151 seats has already begun on the ground.