The Impressive TimesKolkata, May 19 : The Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has withdrawn from the Central government’s diplomatic anti-terror outreach, which involves sending seven all-party delegations to multiple countries in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
The TMC has instructed its Lok Sabha MP Yusuf Pathan, who was the party’s sole representative among the 51 political leaders selected for the delegations, to step back from participation. The decision was communicated to the Centre without any formal explanation.
While the party refrained from issuing an official statement, insiders said the move was prompted by dissatisfaction with the selection process, alleging it was done without consulting the TMC leadership. A senior party member stated, “Choosing MPs without formally contacting the party leadership or sending official communication is a clear violation of protocol. No party can be dictated to by the government regarding who represents them.”
Pathan was part of the delegation headed by JDU MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, which is scheduled to visit Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore starting May 21. Other members of the team include BJP MPs Aparajita Sarangi, Brij Lal, Hemang Joshi, CPIM’s John Brittas, Pradan Barua (BJP), and former minister Salman Khurshid, alongside diplomat Mohan Kumar.
Pathan had received a call from Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju and was later contacted by the Ministry of External Affairs for his passport details. However, he had said he would consult his party before confirming participation. Following internal discussions, TMC decided against his involvement.
With Pathan’s exit, BJP’s Samik Bhattacharya will remain the only MP from West Bengal taking part in the missions. He is in the delegation led by BJP senior leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, visiting the UK, France, Germany, the EU, Italy, and Denmark from May 23.
Trinamool Congress has now joined Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) and the Congress in expressing reservations about the Centre’s global campaign to rally international support against terrorism. While the government sees this initiative as a vital diplomatic step, opposition parties have raised concerns over transparency, consultation, and protocol in the formation of these delegations.
The government had planned to send political leaders, former ministers, and diplomats to 31 countries and the EU to present India’s united stance against terrorism.
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