Jakarta [Indonesia], May 30 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Aparajita Sarangi on Friday interacted with the Indian diaspora and said that the multi-party delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha had come here to explain India's stand on cross-border terrorism to the international community and to tell expose Pakistani propaganda of lies.

'We have come here with only two purposes: to explain India's stand on cross-border terrorism to the international community... and to tell everyone that Pakistan has been indulging in creating false propaganda and peddling lies... We had a very fruitful interaction with everyone who matters in Indonesia,' Sarangi said while addressing the gathering here.

Apprising about the brutality of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, the BJP leader said that India advocates for peace. Still, in the April 22 attack, women and children saw their husbands and fathers get murdered.

'War has never been India's choice. We have always been advocates of peace, and we will continue to be so...We can never go to war, but this time, women and their children saw the murder of their husbands and fathers...Vermillion, a sign of a married woman, was removed from their foreheads by the murderers from Pakistan,' Sarangi said.

'There is no doubt that Pakistan is nourishing and promoting terrorism... There are recurring events of terrorism that Pakistan perpetrated... There is a need for peace within our territory, not a national, but a global need,' she added.

The delegation member pointed out that the DGMO of Pakistan contacted the DGMO of India on May 10 to request a halt to the conflict between the two neighbouring countries.

Further apprising about the abrogation of Article 370, which gave autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir, Sarangi said that Kashmir has become an integral part of India, which irritated Pakistan, which doesn't want peace in India.

'On August 5, 2019, Article 370 and Article 35A were given goodbye. The constitution was amended, and Kashmir became an integral part of India. The rest is history as far as the progress of Kashmir is concerned. This irritated the neighbour. They don't want peace and stability in the country. They don't want India to move on the path of progress. And that is why all these things have been happening... This time, there is nothing but zero tolerance against terrorism,' she said.

Comparing India and Pakistan over foreign exchange reserves, Sarangi said India was on the cusp of progress with foreign exchange reserves of 690 billion dollars. In comparison, the neighbouring country has reserves of just 15 billion dollars.

'India is on the cusp of progress... We are the fourth-largest economy and will be the third, surpassing Germany in the next 2.5 to 3 years. Our GDP growth rate is 6.4 per cent. We have Foreign exchange results to the tune of 690 billion dollars. Pakistan has foreign exchange reserves of just 15 billion dollars. We have a powerful population of 1.4 billion. Most of this population is young. The median age is just 29,' the BJP leader said.

'Under the Bharat Mala project, 65,000 km of highway was done... As per the World Bank report on ease of business, we were at 163rd in 2014, and now we are in the 63rd position... We are improving on all fronts... We have won as far as the development of India is concerned... I am saying all this to bring you to the point that development is the core agenda of the Indian government, and we do not want any disruption,' she added.

The multi-party delegation led by JD-U MP Sanjay Kumar Jha includes Aparajita Sarangi (BJP), Brij Lal (BJP), John Brittas (CPI-M), Pradan Baruah (BJP), Hemang Joshi (BJP), Salman Khurshid and Mohan Kumar. (ANI)