As the multi-party delegations on Operation Sindoor criss-cross the globe to reveal Pakistan’s adoption of terror as a state policy against India, the Urdu dailies closely tracked their travels and interactions through foreign capitals. Lauding the Narendra Modi government’s bipartisan approach in planning and executing this unprecedented diplomatic outreach, the dailies also praised the Opposition for rising above political divides to join the government’s campaign to put Pakistan in the dock. The dailies put a spotlight on how all the parties managed to close ranks to take a united stand on the critical issue of national security.
Highlighting the Modi government’s move to constitute seven multi-party delegations to rally global support for India’s war against terror emanating from Pakistan, the Hyderabad-based Siasat, in its May 22 leader, says the objective behind this diplomatic mission in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor is to “expose the real face of Pakistan as a sponsor of terrorism before the world community”. “What is especially remarkable about these delegations visiting several countries is that they comprise MPs and leaders from all parties. Regardless of some rows over the composition of these teams, the government has sought to project a picture of unity and resolve by taking on board key faces cutting across party lines,” it says. “These delegations must shine a light on Pakistan’s use of terror as a state policy against India – and its malevolent designs and track record – on the global stage.”
The daily says the delegations must also make it clear to the world that Kashmir has always been a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. “Islamabad has repeatedly tried to internationalise the Kashmir issue, but New Delhi has never allowed it to succeed. Our teams must emphasise that India would never accept any mediation or interference of a third party over Kashmir and that it has the capacity to deal with Kashmir or any other issue on its own,” it says, adding that the delegations should leverage India’s global heft and standing to corner Pakistan.
The edit notes that the bipartisan delegations must follow “India first” approach and present the country’s position effectively across the world. “It is an honour for them to have got the opportunity to represent India for such a crucial task. The people of the country have high expectations from them. It is incumbent on them to live up to their expectations.”
Referring to the strained equations between the Congress leadership and four-time party MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor, the New Delhi edition of Inquilab, in its May 22 editorial, points out that no one can deny the ability, skills and popularity of intellectual-politician Tharoor. “From the United Nations to the Government of India, Tharoor has had a distinguished career as a diplomat and politician, serving the country in different capacities. He served as an international civil servant in the UN for about 30 years, rising to the position of the UN Under-Secretary-General under Secretary General Kofi Annan,” it says. He was nominated by India in the election to the Secretary General’s post in 2006 and finished runner-up behind the victor South Korean diplomat, Ban Ki-Moon.
The editorial states that Tharoor was brought into the Indian political arena by the then ruling Congress in 2009 when the party first fielded him as its candidate in the Lok Sabha elections from the Thiruvananthapuram seat in Kerala. In the 2024 polls, he won from his constituency for the fourth consecutive time. “In the Manmohan Singh-led UPA ministry 2.0, Tharoor served as the Minister of State for External Affairs, and later as the MoS, HRD. He has been part of various parliamentary panels, currently heading the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs,” the edit notes, adding that he is also known as one of the leading writers in English language in the country.
“Such a personality would be an asset for any organisation or party,” the daily writes. “Tharoor has been a prominent face of the Congress, which has honoured him too. Tharoor has also not shied away from expressing his pride for being a Congress member,” it says. “However, the faultline in their ties runs through the politics of the party’s faction-ridden Kerala unit where several influential leaders, especially Rahul Gandhi’s confidant K C Venugopal, have sought to sideline him.”
The editorial says the BJP has been trying to woo Tharoor. The Modi government picked him as the head of one of its multi-party diplomatic delegations. “The government thus put the Congress in a spot, whose list of four members for these delegations did not include Tharoor’s name. Tharoor promptly accepted the government’s proposal, which has further upset the Congress leadership,” the edit states. The Congress should win over its estranged leader, it says. “It is unlikely that Tharoor would cross over to the BJP which would dent his image and credentials, although nothing could be ruled out in the game of politics.”
Commenting on the takeaways from the PM Modi-chaired NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting of Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors of states and Union Territories, Siasat, in its May 25 editorial, points out that the PM told the conclave that if the Centre and states work together like Team India, no goal would be impossible. “India is a democratic country with a federal structure. Regardless of the parties in power at the Centre and in states, they must work together in the interest of the entire country to ensure the welfare and progress of all its people,” the edit says. “Political affiliations should only matter during elections following which the parties that come to power should adopt a bipartisan approach towards development.”
The prevailing situation in the country however tells another story, the daily writes. “Every issue is politicised on party lines. Political stunts and propaganda have replaced governance. Every success is linked to a personality, while for every failure the previous regime is blamed,” it says, adding that such a state of affairs has undermined the constitutional principles of federalism in the country. “This is unfortunate that the Centre appears to have double-standards in treating different states,” the editorial claims. While sops have been showered on the NDA-ruled states, the Opposition-ruled states have been accusing the Centre of not clearing their dues or withholding their funds for various programmes, it says. “For poll-bound Bihar as well as Andhra Pradesh, where the BJP’s allies Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu are heading the governments respectively, multiple schemes have been announced by the Centre, while the Opposition states have allegedly got a raw deal.”
The editorial states that the Centre should reach out to states to ensure redressal of their grievances. As the leader of Team India, the Centre must take all states on board. “There should not be any discrimination against any state on political lines. It is the people who give the mandate to a party to rule their state,” the edit says. “So if the party at the helm of a state is different from the one ruling the Centre, the people of that state should not be punished by withholding funds meant for their welfare and development.”
