New Delhi, May 2: Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Nirmala Sitharaman have lauded the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling it crucial to ensure the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar among "global terrorists" by the UN Security Council. The two leaders also expressed disappointment over the Opposition viewing the UN action through political prism.

Describing the listing of Azhar as a "win for every Indian", Jaitley said it is one of India's biggest diplomatic victory in the fight against cross-border terrorism. The BJP veteran also condemned the Opposition for not openly welcoming the UN action, fearing that PM Modi could derive political mileage from it. Masood Azhar Listing Being Used by BJP For Election Gains: Mayawati

"Government and the Prime Minister should be applauded. When the country wins, every Indian wins. It is unfortunate that some friends in the opposition think that if they join in this victory they might have to pay a political price for it," he said.

Sitharaman, who heads the Defence Ministry in the present government, also lauded the efforts of her External Affairs Ministry counterpart Sushma Swaraj, apart from crediting PM Modi for the definite action against Masood Azhar.

"Terrorism shall not be tolerated and this declaration from the UN is noteworthy. Persistent measures taken by the MEA, under leadership of PM and his own visits have resulted in this," she said.

The UN Security Council on May 1 acted against Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaida Sanctions Committee, after China, which had prevented the measure for four consecutive times, finally listed the technical hold.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 02, 2019 01:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).