Mumbai, Maharashtra [India], June 9 (ANI): Shiv Sena MP and member of the All-Party Delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, Milind Deora, on Monday asserted India's resolve to defend itself if provoked, while emphasising the country's commitment to peace during the visits under Operation Sindoor's diplomatic outreach programme.

Speaking about the delegation's recent visits, Deora highlighted India's firm stance against terrorism and its growing global stature.

Deora expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, and his party leader Eknath Shinde for the opportunity to be part of the global outreach programme.

'I was very pleased to be part of the delegation that travelled to the United States, and I am grateful to the Prime Minister, the External Affairs Minister, and my party leader Eknath Shinde for this opportunity,' he said.

The delegation visited four countries--Guyana, Panama, Colombia, and Brazil--before concluding its tour in the United States, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, with the other nations being non-permanent members.

Deora clarified the delegation's objective, stating, 'Our stand was very clear--we were not there to make comparisons between India and Pakistan. The world already sees Pakistan as a failed rogue state, a banana republic, whereas India is viewed as a rising economic power.'

He outlined the delegation's message, saying, 'Our message was straightforward: we do not want war; if we could, we would ignore the neighbour, we seek a peaceful and stable neighbourhood. But if provoked, we reserve the right to defend ourselves. Terrorism will not be tolerated, and if any such incident occurs again with Pakistan's involvement, we will respond firmly.'

Deora was part of the delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor which includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayagi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, Bhubaneswar K Lata (all from BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), and former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

The delegation, during their visit, met with international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism. (ANI)