Bogota (Colombia), May 30 (ANI): BJP MP Tejasvi Surya and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora, part of the all-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor to Colombia, underscored the importance of economic cooperation and clarity on India's distinct security threats during their engagements in Bogota.

Speaking on the economic front, Tejasvi Surya noted Colombia's growing significance as a market for Indian industry. 'We also learned that Colombia is the second largest market for Indian two-wheelers outside India... The message that we are taking back from here to our respective constituencies and states is that Colombia offers massive economic opportunities and potential for Indian companies. The relationship will only further strengthen, and of course, with Colombia's election to the Security Council, we hope it will be further strengthened by the understanding of the security challenges that India is facing in our immediate geography,' Surya said.

Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora also highlighted the difference between Colombia's guerrilla insurgencies and the state-sponsored terrorism India faces from Pakistan. He explained that while India combats left-wing extremism like Naxalism, Pakistan's terror is state-backed.

This distinction reinforces India's firm stance against terrorism, echoed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's statement on Operation Sindoor. Tharoor stressed that after the Pahalgam terror attack, India launched strikes on terrorist infrastructure to ensure such acts do not go unpunished. Together, these statements underline India's resolve to tackle terrorism and the unique challenges posed by state-sponsored terror.

Addressing the media in Bogota, Tharoor said, 'India suffered a grievous terrorist attack on the 22nd of April... When this happened, of course, the world rose up to condemn the terrorist attack, but that was as far as it went. There was no action taken, not even by the country where these people had emerged from, Pakistan. Nobody was arrested, and there was no attempt at any prosecution. India decided that this kind of outrage could not go unpunished. On May 7, India chose to strike against known terror bases and launch pads.'

Tharoor also showed the picture of Pakistani Army officials attending the funerals of terrorists after India's strike on their terror bases. Tharoor said Pakistan provides terrorists a safe haven to continue their training.

The delegation, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, includes members from across the political spectrum: Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayogi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejasvi Surya, Bhubaneswar Kalita (all from BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora. (ANI)