"Everyone Has A Threshold": Shiv Sena MP On Cross-Border Terrorism

India will no longer tolerate cross-border terrorism and retaliate to any future attacks, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde has said. His remarks came in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.

India blamed Pakistan for the assault and followed it with a military response under Operation Sindoor.

"This cannot happen again and again. Everyone has a threshold, and this is ours," Mr Shinde told The National during a diplomatic visit to the UAE. "This is the new normal: if they hit us, we will hit back. And we did, with restraint. Operation Sindoor was a measured response. We targeted only the camps of terrorist organisations."

Launched earlier this month, Operation Sindoor involved missile strikes on nine terror camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. About 100 terrorists were killed. 

Mr Shinde was in the UAE this week leading an eight-member parliamentary delegation as part of a diplomatic outreach. The UAE was the first stop on his four-nation tour aimed at rallying global support against terrorism. The delegation also includes visits to Liberia, the Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone.

"We are here to reinforce the fact that we all speak the same language when it comes to terrorism," Mr Shinde said. "Terrorism isn't an issue for one country alone; it's a global threat. We must all unite to defeat it," Mr Shinde added, speaking to Khaleej Times.

India and Pakistan exchanged fire for four days following Operation Sindoor, before a ceasefire was declared on May 10.

"The ceasefire was a mutual agreement between India and Pakistan," Mr Shinde clarified. "There's an established mechanism and a hotline between the two countries. Pakistan contacted us and requested the ceasefire, and we responded positively."

India and UAE share strong bilateral ties, which have grown deeper in recent years through cooperation in trade, energy, and security. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), implemented in 2022, has significantly boosted economic engagement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited the UAE seven times since taking office.

Mr Shinde suggested the terror attack in Pahalgam may have been an attempt to derail progress and economic revival in Kashmir. "This is peak tourist season. Maybe the terrorists don't like that Kashmir is thriving," he said. "But what's different now is that the people of Kashmir took to the streets to condemn the attack. The mood has changed."

As part of their UAE visit, the delegation visited key cultural and religious landmarks, including the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara in Dubai, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, and Abu Dhabi's BAPS Hindu Mandir - the first traditional stone Hindu temple in the Middle East.