"Terrorism is cancer": All-party delegation leader Ravi Shankar Prasad after media interaction in London

London [UK], June 3 (ANI): The all-party delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad addressed the media at India House in London on Tuesday, ahead of concluding their visit to the UK.

During the interaction, the delegation delivered a strong message on the global threat of terrorism, highlighting Pakistan's misuse of international funds to support terrorism and arms proliferation.

The delegation also received widespread support from British parliamentarians, think tanks, and the Indian diaspora for India's democratic unity and firm stance against terrorism.

Following the interaction, delegation leader Prasad highlighted the global concern over terrorism as a "cancer" and called for scrutiny of Pakistan's use of international funds, noting the novelty of the all-party delegation initiative.

He noted that the delegation met with key UK figures, including the Speaker of the House of Commons and Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel, emphasising the need for international accountability on terrorism financing amidst appreciation for India's democratic approach.

"This has been really good. Our visit to England concludes today. We held a press conference at the India House here; we met the Speaker of the House of Commons this morning. We met the Chairman of the Conservative Party yesterday; we also met Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel. We also met Indian Friends in the Labour Party... We also interacted with Think Tanks. All of them are concerned that terrorism is a cancer... We also said that they (Pakistan) get loans from the IMF and World Bank and they get other funding too. So, is the funding being used for terrorism and weapon purchases or for the poor? This should be asked of them... Everyone said one more thing: that the all-party Parliamentary delegation visit is a new initiative," Prasad said.

Congress MP Amar Singh emphasised the delegation's efforts to explain India's terrorism challenges and urged Pakistan's government to clarify its stance.

"We met several people here. We met the Speaker, Ministers, a few State Ministers, Labour MPs, and Conservative MPs. We have tried to explain how India is being affected by terrorism... We have also said how our neighbouring country troubles us again and again. Now, their Government has to decide what stand they take. But we have said everything we had to," Singh stated.

Meanwhile, AIADMK MP M Thambidurai noted the UK's support for India's anti-terrorism actions, its appreciation of India's democratic unity, and its criticism of Pakistan's military rule and misuse of funds for terrorism.

"We met all the elected people of the House of Commons and Senators also... They are all positive... The Indian delegation is much more successful, seeing the reaction of all sections of people in Britain. They are for India; they are against terrorism... They are very unhappy with Pakistan... Instead of developing the country, there is no democracy there. There is a military rule there... They are misusing the money they are getting and using it for terrorism... The UK is one of the countries that have suffered. So, the UK also felt that terrorist camps in Pakistan are a dangerous thing... So, whatever action that has been taken by India to tackle terrorism is being appreciated by them," the AIADMK leader noted.

The delegation, led by the BJP MP, includes BJP MP Daggubati Purandeswari, Samik Bhattacharya, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Congress MPs Ghulam Ali Khatana and Amar Singh, former Union Minister MJ Akbar, and former Ambassador Pankaj Saran. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)