Why Himanta Sarma urged Rahul Gandhi to drop ‘Assam MP’ from Congress team for diplomatic outreach after Op Sindoor
According to Jairam Ramesh, the four names submitted on May 16 were: Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Raja Brar.
In a comment that could spark a new political row, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday raised concerns over the inclusion of a Congress MP from Assam in the proposed all-party delegations to key partner countries to convey India's message of zero tolerance against terrorism following ‘Operation Sindoor’.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “One of the MPs named in the list (from Assam) has not denied his prolonged stay in Pakistan—reportedly for two weeks—and credible documents show that his wife was drawing salary from a Pakistan-based NGO while working in India.”
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Calling it a matter of national security, the Assam chief minister urged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi not to include the said leader in what he described as a “sensitive and strategic assignment”.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leader's X post comes shortly after Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh confirmed that the party had submitted the names of four MPs for the government’s foreign delegations aimed at explaining India’s stance on terrorism originating from Pakistan.
Jairam Ramesh said the Congress president and the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha had been approached by Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju to nominate MPs for the mission.
According to Ramesh, the four names submitted on May 16 were: Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Raja Brar. Notably absent from this list was senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who on Friday publicly stated he had been invited by the government to lead one of the delegations.
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He said, "By noon yesterday May 16th, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi) wrote to the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs giving the following names on behalf of the INC -- former “Union Cabinet Minister Anand Sharma, Congress' deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain and Lok Sabha MP Raja Brar."
A statement issued by the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry earlier on Saturday said the all-party delegations will project India's national consensus and resolute approach to combating terrorism in all forms and manifestations.
"They would carry forth to the world the country's strong message of zero tolerance against terrorism.
"In the context of Operation Sindoor and India's continued fight against cross-border terrorism, seven all-party delegations are set to visit key partner countries, including members of the UN Security Council later this month," it said.
The government has made a careful selection of leaders who will head the delegations as they come from parties across the political divide and are considered articulate voices.
BJP MPs Ravi Shankar Prasad and Baijayant Panda, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha, DMK's Kanimozhi, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, and Shiv Sena's Shrikant Shinde will be heading a delegation each.
While four of them are from the ruling National Democratic Alliance, three are from the opposition INDIA bloc.
Each delegation may visit around five countries.
According to the ministry's statement, distinguished diplomats will be part of each delegation.
