Tension Over! Shiv Sena (UBT) Backs India’s Anti-Terror Global Outreach After Rijiju-Thackeray Call

Mumbai, May 20, 2025: The Shiv Sena (UBT) has announced its support for India’s all-party delegations tasked with highlighting Pakistan-sponsored terrorism on the global stage, reversing its earlier call for a boycott. The decision follows a phone call on Sunday between Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, where the minister sought the party’s participation in the diplomatic initiative.

The party confirmed its backing on X, emphasizing that the delegations focus on India’s unified stand against terrorism, not political agendas. “On being reassured, we have assured the government that we will do what is right for our country,” the Sena (UBT) stated, noting that Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi will represent the party in the delegations.

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The initiative involves seven all-party delegations, comprising 51 parliamentarians and former ministers, visiting global capitals to present India’s position on countering terrorism, particularly in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people and the subsequent Operation Sindoor, a military response targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied territories.

While expressing solidarity with the armed forces and supporting the fight against Pakistan-based terrorism, the Sena (UBT) reiterated its concerns over the “intelligence and security failures” in the Pahalgam attack. The party vowed to continue seeking answers domestically while advocating for exposing Pakistan’s role globally to isolate and dismantle its terror networks.

The Sena (UBT) also urged the Centre to follow a protocol of better communication with political parties to avoid “chaos and mismanagement” in such initiatives. Additionally, it renewed its demand for an all-party meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss developments from the Pahalgam attack to Operation Sindoor.

The party’s initial hesitation stemmed from spokesperson Sanjay Raut’s remarks on May 18, where he criticized the delegations as a “tourism program” and suggested INDIA bloc parties boycott them, alleging they would defend the government’s “sins and crimes.” However, following clarifications from Rijiju and pressure from allies like Sharad Pawar, who advised against mixing local politics with national issues, the Sena (UBT) aligned with the national interest.

This diplomatic outreach, coordinated by Rijiju, marks a significant effort to project India’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism globally, with delegations visiting key nations, including UN Security Council members, from May 23 to June 1. 

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