Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, leading a multi-party Indian parliamentary delegation in Copenhagen, on Friday (May 30) sharply criticised a group of Pakistani nationals for raising anti-India slogans outside a venue hosting the delegation. Terming Pakistan a “desperate country,” Prasad urged the Indian diaspora to “ignore them with impunity,” alleging that the protestors were acting under instructions from their “handlers in Pakistan” to disrupt India’s global outreach against terrorism.
Context of the Protest
The incident occurred during a programme organised to highlight India’s firm stance against terrorism, part of a broader diplomatic offensive to expose Pakistan’s alleged role in sponsoring terror activities. The delegation, which includes prominent figures such as BJP MPs Daggubati Purandeswari and 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, has been engaging with international media and the Indian diaspora to garner support for India’s position.
Prasad, addressing the Indian diaspora in Copenhagen, attributed the disruption to Pakistan’s unease over the widespread coverage of India’s anti-terrorism campaign. “I was very surprised to see Pakistanis here raising slogans. Our programme is going very well, we are getting wide coverage. Their handlers in Pakistan must have told them to do something. They have come here in desperation. Pakistan is a desperate country that lives in desperation. Ignore them with impunity,” he said.
Highlighting Human Rights Violations
Prasad also drew attention to human rights abuses in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Balochistan, accusing Pakistan of systemic mistreatment of its people. “What kind of ill treatment in PoK people are suffering, do you know? They are crying to shift to India… in Balochistan, women are given the worst barbaric treatment possible,” he stated.
He further criticised Pakistan’s military dominance, remarking, “Pakistan is in great commotion today… We fought four conventional wars… none of which India started; we only responded, and Pakistan lost all of them. ‘Jinnah ne banaya Pakistan, woh ban gayi General ki Dukan’ (Jinnah created Pakistan, it became an Army General’s shop).”
Delegation’s Broader Mission
The Indian delegation’s visit to Copenhagen is part of a global diplomatic effort to highlight Pakistan’s alleged role in terrorism, particularly following recent incidents such as the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22, 2025. The delegation has been vocal about the need for international cooperation to combat terrorism, emphasising that the threat India faces could extend to other nations.
BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya reinforced this message, stating, “We are not seeking help from anyone with folded hands. We are going everywhere in the world, and we have only one objective: to alert them that what is happening with us is bound to happen with them. Hence, this terrorism must be uprooted. Every Pakistani knows what they are; they can’t even open a shop in the name of Pakistan outside their country, they use Indian names.”
MJ Akbar Calls Out Pakistan’s “Double Face”
Former Union Minister MJ Akbar, a member of the delegation, accused Pakistan of duplicity in its diplomatic engagements. “Even well-meaning friends will ask you, why don’t you talk to Pakistan? Tell them Pakistan has a government with a double face, which face do we talk to? Pakistan has a government with a forked tongue; whose tongue do we address? Pakistan has talks with a poisoned tongue that gets hurt when a tongue is poisoned… The talks are nothing but a bluff. We now have a leader who has actually called the bluff, Narendra Modi… Nobody has made as much effort to bring a nation with a genetic disorder to its senses,” Akbar said.
India’s Diplomatic Offensive
India’s outreach in Copenhagen follows a series of diplomatic moves to isolate Pakistan on the global stage, particularly in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, which has been hailed as a decisive response to Pakistan’s alleged provocations.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently remarked that Bal Thackeray, the late Shiv Sena founder, “would have hugged PM Modi” for the operation’s success. Meanwhile, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh’s controversial comparison of Indian MPs’ international visits to “terrorists roaming” has drawn sharp criticism from the BJP, further highlighting the polarised domestic discourse on India’s foreign policy.
India’s efforts have extended beyond Europe, with diplomatic engagements in the United States and Gulf countries to underscore Pakistan’s role in terror sponsorship. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, in a recent statement, called for a global fight against “evil forces,” aligning with the delegation’s message in Copenhagen.
As India continues its global campaign, the focus remains on exposing Pakistan’s double standards and fostering international cooperation to combat terrorism. For the Indian diaspora in Copenhagen, the delegation’s message was clear: India is resolute in its fight against terrorism and will not be deterred by disruptions.
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