As part of India’s global outreach following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, BJP MP Baijayant Panda, leading an all-party parliamentary delegation to Bahrain, stated that India has decisively called out Pakistan’s long-standing “nuclear bluff” and made it clear that any future provocations will be met with firm retaliation.
During an interaction with influential figures in Bahrain, Panda said, “We will no longer be blackmailed by their nuclear bluff. We can and will retaliate. Our goal is not hostility, but to impose a cost that deters such attacks. Things will not escalate to nuclear levels because our aim is deterrence, not destruction.”
Panda thanked the Bahraini government for its continued support and its condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 civilians were killed after being identified by their religion in front of their families. “India has faced such horrific attacks for years, all of which have been traced to a single neighbour to our west,” he said, alluding to Pakistan.
Speaking on India’s evolving strategic posture, Panda reiterated that India’s new doctrine rejects nuclear intimidation. “Our intention is to defend, not provoke—but we will not hesitate to strike back,” he emphasized.
Addressing international commentary, including claims by former U.S. President Donald Trump about brokering peace between India and Pakistan, Panda firmly stated that India has never accepted third-party mediation. “The ceasefire was not due to any outside pressure,” he said. “It was Pakistan that contacted India directly. When their Director General of Military Operations reached out, we responded by saying: you stop shooting, we stop shooting.”
The multi-party delegation includes MPs Nishikant Dubey, Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma (all BJP), Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM), Satnam Singh Sandhu, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former Ambassador Harsh Shringla. Their mission is to counter global misinformation and communicate India’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism during engagements in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Algeria.
The outreach initiative underscores India’s commitment to defending its citizens, pushing back against cross-border terrorism, and asserting a united national stance in the global arena.