BJP's Tejasvi Surya to join delegation to US to highlight India’s stance on Pak-backed terror
Bengaluru, May 18 (PTI): BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Sunday said he will be part of a multi-party delegation visiting the US and Latin America, to present India’s stand against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.
Surya will join Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and others on the trip, which runs from May 23 to June 6.
The initiative is part of a major diplomatic outreach by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, which has constituted seven multi-party delegations to travel to 32 countries and the European Union.
Each team includes retired diplomats who will assist MPs with policy and diplomatic engagement. These delegations aim to present India's firm and unified stance against terrorism and assert its right to respond to cross-border attacks.
The BJP MP said, "I will be joining Dr Shashi Tharoor in the Indian delegation of MPs to the Americas. We will take to the world, India’s message against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and our demonstrated determination to put an end to it.”
According to Surya, Operation Sindoor signified a precise, measured and morally justified response to Pakistan-Backed Terrorism.
The operation has become a global call for justice and through this visit, MPs cutting across parties will unitedly highlight India's stance in combating terror.
“This initiative reflects the Modi government’s commitment to building a global coalition against terrorism and advancing India’s diplomatic leadership on the world stage,” he noted.
Karnataka is being represented by two Members of Parliament in this international initiative.
Apart from Surya, Mangaluru MP Captain Brijesh Chowta will be part of another delegation heading to the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
Surya expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, Minister for External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju for giving him the responsibility.
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
