Delhi, 18 May (H.S.): The central government’s decision to appoint Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor to lead a seven-member delegation to the US has drawn criticism from the Congress party. They argue that the BJP-led government’s choice reflects complete insincerity regarding national concerns. Earlier, the Congress was asked to nominate four MPs for a delegation representing India’s stance on terrorism linked to Pakistan. The party proposed Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, but only Sharma made it to the seven-member team. Interestingly, four leaders not nominated by Congress, including Tharoor, were selected for the delegations. A total of fifty-one political leaders from various parties will participate in these delegations as part of a campaign to emphasize India’s commitment to combat terrorism amid Operation Sindoor.Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh criticized the late release of the delegation list, noting that only one of their suggested names was included, which he claims demonstrates the Modi government’s insincerity towards significant national issues.

Four prominent Congress leaders will join delegations at the request of the Modi government, contributing to discussions on national security. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh emphasized that the party will maintain its commitment to Parliamentary democracy and refrain from the partisanship exhibited by the BJP. He expressed well-wishes for the delegations but stressed that they shouldn’t distract from Congress’s demands for all-party meetings led by Modi and a special parliamentary session to reaffirm the 1994 resolution regarding national security.

The delegations, including leaders from BJP, JDU, Shiv Sena, Congress, DMK, and NCP-SP, will visit 32 countries and the EU headquarters in Brussels. Comprising seven or eight members each and supported by former diplomats, 31 of the 51 leaders are from the NDA and 20 from non-NDA parties. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju highlighted the mission’s unity against terrorism, labeling it #OperationSindoor. The inclusion of Shashi Tharoor, a Congress leader, in these delegations has been controversial, with the party accusing the government of politicizing the issue.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar