Doha (Qatar) [India], May 26 (ANI): Following the Supriya Sule-led all-party delegation's meeting with Qatar's Sheikha Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti, Congress MP Manish Tewari said the meeting conveyed the message that India is a 5000-year-old 'civilisational continuum' and a 'melting pot of diverse religions and cultures.'

The Congress MP further asserted that India will not tolerate any kind of proxy war from Pakistan and reserves the right to defend its sovereignty.

'Had a productive & constructive exchange of views with the Hon'ble Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council of Qatar Her Excellency Sheikha Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti and her colleagues of the Shura Council. Impressed upon them that India is a civilizational continuum going back 5000 years and a melting pot of diverse religions and cultures. India can not be subjected to a low-cost proxy war by Pakistan by the use of terror as an instrument of state policy, and therefore reserves the right to take appropriate measures to defend her sovereignty and civilizational ethos', Manish Tewari wrote in his 'X' post.

According to a press release by the Embassy of India in Doha, the multi-party delegation arrived in Qatar on May 24 and held meetings with the Qatari dignitaries at the Shura Council and members of the academic think tank community of the country. The delegation also paid a floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian Embassy premises in Doha.

'The multi-party Indian delegation, which is on a visit to Qatar from May 24-26, 2025, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, held fruitful interactions with Qatari dignitaries at the Shura Council as well as members of the academic and think-tank community in Qatar today. The delegation started its day by paying floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Indian Embassy premises. The members recalled that India is a land of Gautam Buddha and Gandhi, who spread the message of peace and non-violence globally', the press release said.

'Thereafter, the Indian delegation paid a visit to Qatar's Shura Council and held meeting with Qatari delegation led by Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council HE Dr. Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti. During the meeting, the delegation members underscored the continued threat of cross-border terrorism and deliberate attempts to sow social discord in India. They condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam as a calculated effort to undermine peace and development in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. They highlighted that Operation Sindoor, conducted by India in response, was calibrated, targeted and proportionate, demonstrating India's commitment to countering terrorism without escalating tensions. The Qatar side emphasised its zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and that terrorism must be condemned', the release added.

'The delegation members also held interaction with the academic and think-tank community at the Middle East Council for Global Affairs and briefed them on India's zero tolerance policy on terrorism and the need to stop differentiating the terrorists and their backers. The participants expressed their understanding of India's stance. The delegation also interacted with the editorial team of leading newspapers of Qatar, Al Sharq and Peninsula, and conveyed India's perspectives on developments following the Pahalgam terror attack and our policy to counter cross-border terrorism', the release added.

The delegation, including NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule, Rajiv Pratap Rudy (BJP), Vikramjit Singh Sahney (AAP), Manish Tewari (Congress), Anurag Singh Thakur (BJP), Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu (TDP), Anand Sharma (Congress), V Muraleedharan (BJP) and former diplomat Syed Akbaruddin, will also visit Egypt, Ethiopia and South Africa. (ANI)