TMC joins row over nominees for Operation Sindoor outreach

Delegations to seek support to push Pak on rooting out terror

- Saubhadra Chatterji

NEW DELHI: The Trinamool Congress on Monday withdrew its lawmaker from a delegation travelling abroad to present India's viewpoint on Operation Sindoor even as the Congress refuted Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju's claims that the government didn't seek nominations from the main Opposition party.

Renewed politics over the seven delegations, which will travel to international capitals and disseminate India's stance on Operation Sindoor across the globe, began on Monday, two days after the inclusion of senior Congress leaders — particularly Shashi Tharoor — that appeared to bypass the party's nomination sparked a controversy.

Trinamool Congress lawmaker and former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan was named in the delegation which was headed by Janata Dal (United) leader Sanjay Jha and going to Indonesia, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Japan and Singapore. But his inclusion came under a cloud on Monday.

"We were not contacted about this," party chief Mamata Banerjee said. "Nowadays, the system is that they do not inform the mother party but inform the parliamentary party. But the parliamentary party works for parliamentary sessions. They cannot make policy decisions," she said.

"If the request comes to us, of course we can consider it. We always support the central government's policy (on external affairs)...If they request me to send someone, we will decide on the name and tell them. It is not that we are boycotting or not going," she added.

Later, party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said that TMC was still willing to send its MP in the delegation.

"When it comes to fighting terror and protecting national interest, TMC will stand shoulder to shoulder with the Union government. But the Centre can't decide unilaterally who will go from which party," he said.