“Breeding a snake in your backyard and expecting it to bite only your neighbour is the last thing one should think of,” Banerjee said during the discussion. “Once that snake is unleashed, it will end up biting whoever it can. A snake remains a snake. So we need to be very careful and mindful of how Pakistan has been harbouring terrorism and terrorists from 9/11, 26/11 to Uri, Pahalgam—repeatedly, one after another terror attacks. Osama Bin Laden was found in Abbottabad, a place in Pakistan.”
The TMC leader is part of an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation currently visiting South Korea, led by JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha. The team is engaging with South Korean lawmakers, diplomats, and think tanks to deepen bilateral ties.
Also Read: All-party delegation meets Qatari minister, conveys India’s stand on Pahalgam attack, Operation SindoorBanerjee told participants that Pakistan’s support for terrorism has long been a destabilising force and that recent events, such as the Pahalgam terror attack which claimed 26 lives, underscore the urgent need for the world to act.
“We want to tell this with all humility and grace that any support extended to Pakistan is a support to terror organisations. Anyone endorsing or defending Pakistan’s actions is, in essence, backing terrorism,” he said.
He stressed that the Pahalgam attack is no longer just an Indian national security issue but “a global imperative now.” India’s patience ran out after Pakistan failed to take action against those responsible, he said.
“We waited patiently for 14 days and then eventually carried out airstrikes on May 7 after waiting for almost two weeks,” he noted. “Our air strikes neutralised nine terror infrastructure without harming a single civilian, sending a clear, decisive message to the architects of violence.”
Highlighting the broader economic context, Banerjee said that Pakistan’s actions were aimed at destabilising India’s progress. “If you look at the trajectory of economies of India and Pakistan, there is a difference between hell and heaven. India has grown by leaps and bounds while Pakistan is struggling with their own economic crisis,” he said.Also Read: NDA CM conclave passes resolution in favour of Op Sindoor, praises PM Modi’s leadership and armed forcesThe cross-border hostilities intensified in the days following the Indian strikes, with Pakistan attempting to retaliate on May 8, 9, and 10. The situation deescalated only after military-level talks between the two countries on May 10, which led to an agreement to halt operations.During their engagements in Seoul, the Indian delegation also met Yun Ho-jung, Chairperson of the Korea-India Parliamentary Friendship Group in the Korean National Assembly, and briefed him on Operation Sindoor and India’s zero-tolerance stance on terrorism.The delegation highlighted India’s long-standing position of making no distinction between terrorist groups and nations that support them, and called on South Korea to back global efforts to hold organisers and funders of terrorism accountable.Chairperson Yun echoed the sentiment, stating that “any act of terrorism is unacceptable and cannot be justified,” and reaffirmed South Korea’s strong position against terror and violence.Banerjee concluded his remarks by invoking Rabindranath Tagore, drawing a cultural bridge between India and Korea. “I come from Bengal, a land that shares a civilisational bond with Korea, the land of Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore, whose poem ‘Lamp of the East’ still resonates deeply in this nation. India is rooted in the values of peace, humanity and non-violence. But let there be no mistake: our tolerance is not timidity,” he said.With inputs from PTI
Source: Economic Times
