TMC's Yusuf Pathan to opt out of all-party mission on anti-terror stand

Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerje asserted that the leadership of a party should decide the names of its representatives for the Centre's multi-party diplomatic mission

A senior Trinamool Congress leader said on Sunday that their designated MP Yusuf Pathan will not join the all-party delegation on Operation Sindoor, according to a report by The Times of India.

 

While TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay refused to participate due to health issues, TMC MP Yusuf Pathan, who was listed as a delegate, will not be a part of the all-party parliamentary delegations, the report said.

 

The TMC leader was quoted as saying that foreign policy was entirely within the domain of the Union government and therefore, only the Union government should take complete responsibility for it. The delegations, consisting of 51 political figures, parliamentarians and former ministers from different parties, will travel to international capitals to showcase India’s resolute position against terrorism, specifically regarding ‘Operation Sindoor’.

 

Centre needs to show good intent: TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee

 

Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday stated that the leadership of a party should decide the names of its representatives for the Centre’s multi-party delegations.  Also read: BJP slams TMC MP Yusuf Pathan's 'sipping tea' post amid Murshidabad unrest 

Speaking about the diplomatic outreach programme, Banerjee asserted that the individual party should get to decide the representatives. “I believe that whatever decision the Union government takes if it aims at combating and curbing terrorism, safeguarding the sovereignty of the nation and protecting the national interest, we, as a party, will stand with the Centre shoulder to shoulder. But if there is a multi-party delegation going, it will be the individual party to decide its representatives,” Banerjee told reporters at the Kolkata airport before leaving for Delhi.

  Also read: Shashi Tharoor dropped by Congress, chosen by Centre. Why the big switch?

 

“The Centre cannot unilaterally decide who will represent which party. This has to be decided by the respective party leadership. If you ask for one representative, we will give you five names. But the Centre also needs to show its good intent and call for a wider deliberation with all parties in the opposition,” he said.

   

Shashi Tharoor to lead 7-MP team 

The government on Saturday announced that Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and six other MPs — including leaders from both the Opposition and the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — will be part of this outreach. This move follows Operation Sindoor, India’s cross-border offensive launched after the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed 26 lives.   Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, JDU leader Sanjay Kumar Jha, BJP leader Baijayant Panda, DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, and Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Eknath Shinde will lead the seven delegations.