If terrorism is rabid dog, Pakistan is vile handler: TMC's Abhishek Banerjee in Japan

Tokyo: If terrorism is a "rabid dog", Pakistan is its "vile handler", and the world must unite to tackle it, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee said on Saturday. Banerjee, who is part of an all-party delegation to Japan to highlight India's unwavering stand against cross-border terrorism and expose Pakistan, said, "We are here to convey the truth— India refuses to bow down." The delegation to Japan led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha is one of the seven multi-party delegations India has tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community. "We will not yield to fear. We have learnt to respond in a language that they understand," he said during a fiery speech in Tokyo. "If terrorism is a rabid dog, Pakistan is its vile handler. We must first unite the world to tackle this wild handler—else it will continue to breed more rabid dogs," he said. "We will ensure India remains responsible. All our responses and actions have been precise, calculated, and non-escalatory," he said.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives. India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7, following which Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9, and 10. The Indian side responded strongly to the Pakistani actions. The on-ground hostilities ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10. Banerjee said The Resistance Front (TRF), which is behind the Pahalgam attack, is a proxy organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is recognised as a UN-designated terrorist group. "We are all aware of how Pakistan hastily attempted to dissociate Lashkar from the list. Moreover, after the air strikes, public domain images showed senior Pakistan army officials attending the funerals of the terrorists killed in the strikes," he said. "The footage does not lie—it’s all in the open. I believe every Indian has a role to play in engaging communities and spreading this message," he said and asked the Indian community members to raise awareness on the issue of terrorism. Referring to the Indian diaspora as the country’s greatest asset, Banerjee said, "You live India, you breathe India. I want you to be the nation’s foremost evangelist—proponents of India’s message in the global fight against terrorism." "We urge you to raise awareness of this issue within your circles, through your networks, and via local influencers, in your own unique ways," he said. "Be the country’s most passionate proponents and share this message: India is leading from the front in the global battle against terrorism," he said. The delegation to Japan interacted with members of the Indian diaspora at the Embassy. It presented a unified front of India, clearly explaining the role of Pakistan in the gruesome terror attacks in Pahalgam on April 22 and how India through Operation Sindoor destroyed the terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. "They emphasised India’s zero tolerance to Terrorism and conveyed the messages that terror and talks cannot go together; blood and water cannot flow together. They reaffirmed India’s unwavering commitment to combating cross-border terrorism and urged the Indian diaspora to continue to spread this message to every corner of Japan," the Indian embassy in Japan posted on X. They also expressed deep appreciation for the community’s recent tribute at the Embassy to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.