Politics has ensued over the selection of MPs for the government’s global outreach on Operation Sindoor, with Shashi Tharoor appointed to lead one of the key delegations, yet notably missing from the Congress party’s list.
Moments after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced the broad structure of the plan on Saturday, revealing that seven delegations would be sent, Shashi Tharoor accepted the government’s invitation to lead one of them.
The twist came later when Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh revealed that the party president had submitted four names to the government for inclusion in the multi-party delegation: Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Nasir Hussain, and Raja Brar. Though Tharoor did not figure in the list nominated by his party, he accepted the government invitation.
“I am honoured by the invitation of the government of India to lead an all-party delegation to five key capitals, to present our nation’s point of view on recent events. When national interest is involved, and my services are required, I will not be found wanting. Jai Hind!” he said in a post on X.
As part of its efforts to rally global support for India’s war against terror emanating from Pakistan and try and isolate Islamabad internationally, the government on Saturday announced that seven all-party delegations would visit various countries to convey India’s message later this month. Three of these delegations will be headed by Opposition leaders.
The all-party delegations will reflect India’s united stand and unwavering commitment to fighting terrorism in all its forms. They will take the country’s clear message of zero tolerance for terrorism to the global stage. Shashi Tharoor will lead the delegation to the United States, Baijayant Panda to Europe, Kanimozhi to Russia, Shrikant Shinde to Africa, and Ravi Shankar Prasad to the Gulf countries.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, in a post on X said, “In moments that matter most, Bharat stands united. Seven All-Party Delegations will soon visit key partner nations, carrying our shared message of zero-tolerance to terrorism.”
NCP MP Supriya Sule said she was honoured to be part of the all-party delegation representing India on the global stage. She expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of External Affairs for entrusting her with the responsibility.