Kolkata: Speaking at an all-party delegation interaction with think-tanks in Seoul, South Korea, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee launched a scathing attack on Pakistan, equating any support for the nation to backing terrorist organisations.
Addressing the global implications of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Banerjee emphasized that Pakistan’s role in “harbouring, shielding, and sheltering terrorists” threatens not just India’s security but global stability.
Banerjee highlighted the stark contrast between India’s booming economy and Pakistan’s ongoing economic crisis, suggesting the Pahalgam attack was an attempt to derail India’s progress. He cited the 2008 Mumbai attacks, where 166 people from 26 countries were killed by Pakistan-trained terrorists, as evidence of Pakistan’s complicity in global terrorism.
“Breeding a snake in your backyard and expecting it to bite only your neighbour is foolish. A snake remains a snake,” Banerjee warned, referencing Pakistan’s alleged history of sheltering terrorists, including Osama bin Laden found in Abbottabad.
He detailed India’s restrained response to the Pahalgam attack, waiting 14 days for Pakistan to act before conducting precise airstrikes on May 7, which destroyed nine terror infrastructures “without civilian casualties”. Banerjee contrasted India’s “firm yet honourable” approach with Pakistan’s inaction, noting that Pakistani military officials were seen attending terrorists’ funerals, a fact he claimed exposes their tacit support for terrorism.
Expressing gratitude for South Korea’s warm welcome, Banerjee invoked the cultural bond between the two nations, citing Rabindranath Tagore’s poem “The Lamp of the East” in Korean textbooks. He reiterated India’s commitment to peace but warned, “You fire, we fire! You stop, we stop,” invoking Newton’s third law of every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
Banerjee urged the international community to recognise that endorsing Pakistan equates to supporting terrorism, calling for vigilance against its role in attacks from 9/11 to Pahalgam.
Later, Abhishek wrote on X: “As part of India’s All-Party Parliamentary Delegation, I had the honour of engaging with key stakeholders in the Republic of Korea to further our united message against the GLOBAL THREAT OF TERRORISM. Our delegation called on Mr. Yun Ho-jung, Chairperson of the Korea-India Parliamentary Friendship Group and briefed him on India’s PRINCIPLED and UNCOMPROMISING stance on terrorism in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam attack. We conveyed that India makes no distinction between terrorists and the states that harbour them, and seeks global cooperation to bring perpetrators and enablers to justice. We also engaged with eminent scholars and senior representatives from Korea’s leading think tanks, policy groups, and India Studies Centres. The discussions were substantive, delving into India’s MEASURED, PRECISE and NON-ESCALATORY response. I spoke about the MORAL URGENCY of COLLECTIVE GLOBAL ACTION in DISMANTLING TERROR ECOSYSTEMS and how India’s doctrine – guided by RESTRAINT, PRINCIPLE, and RESOLVE – can serve as a template in this regard. I thank our Korean counterparts for their strong show of solidarity and support. Our delegation also met the Hon’ble Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Cho Tae-yul (@FMChoTaeyul), where we reiterated India’s enduring commitment to fight terrorism. Terrorism cannot be viewed through selective morality. It is a CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY, and those who justify, shield, or enable it must be held fully accountable.”