New Delhi, 17 May 

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal Saturday welcomed the Centre's decision to send diplomatic outreach delegations after 'Operation Sindoor' and recalled how the UPA government had undertaken such an exercise after 26/11 attack to expose Pakistan as a "factory of terrorists" that benefits India even now.-

His remarks came after the government announced that it would be sending seven all-party delegations to key partner countries to convey India's message of zero tolerance against terrorism following 'Operation Sindoor.'

"I can remember that after 26/11, the prime minister Manmohan Singh decided that we should take a step which proves to the world that Pakistan is a terrorist state and breeds terrorists. We collected the facts, did documentation, then different delegations went to different regions such as the US, Europe," he said at a press conference here.

"I headed the delegation that went to the African continent. We met parliamentarians, apprised them... We created an environment which benefits us even now. We said that Pakistan is a factory of terrorists. Even China condemned the terrorist attack," Sibal, who was a Union minister in the Manmohan Singh government, said.

He asserted that terrorist activities decreased during the Manmohan Singh regime.

Sibal said that after the Pahalgam attack, he had demanded a resolution to be passed, and if that had happened, "we could have told the world what is the thinking of Parliament".

"I had also demanded sending all-party delegations. I made this demand on April 25 and then repeated it two days later at a press conference. I have been stressing on this," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not been listening to the Opposition in the last decade but "maybe he has heard us this time", Sibal said.

"I want to congratulate the government, it is a good thing," he said.

Sibal also said he had said earlier that by bringing an amendment in UAPA, "we should add a schedule where we can say terrorist state and under that put Pakistan, so that we can go to the world and tell that you are doing business with this terrorist".

Opposition leaders Shashi Tharoor and Kanimozhi will join members of the ruling alliance, including Ravi Shankar Prasad and Sanjay Jha, in leading seven all-party delegations to key partner countries to convey India's message of zero tolerance against terrorism following Operation Sindoor.

The other MPs picked by the government to present India's "national consensus" globally, including to UN Security Council members, in fighting terrorism are NCP-SP's Supriya Sule, BJP's Baijayant 'Jay' Panda and Shiv Sena's Shrikant Shinde.

A statement issued by the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry on Saturday said, "The all-party delegations will project India's national consensus and resolute approach to combating terrorism in all forms and manifestations. They would carry forth to the world the country's strong message of zero tolerance against terrorism."

The government has made a careful selection of leaders who will head the delegations as they come from parties across the political divide and are considered articulate voices.

The leaders -- four from the ruling National Democratic Alliance and three from the opposition INDIA bloc -- include seasoned lawmakers with long stints in public life.