Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee has been nominated by party chief Mamata Banerjee to represent the party in India’s all-party delegation tasked with briefing partner countries about Operation Sindoor — a diplomatic initiative aimed at countering Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.
The announcement was made by the TMC on social media platform X. "We’re delighted to share that our chairperson, Mamata Banerjee, has nominated national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee to represent Trinamool Congress in the all-party delegation for India’s global outreach against terrorism," the post read.
The party further stated that Banerjee’s participation would amplify the country's unified voice on the global stage. "At a time when the world must unite to confront the growing threat of terrorism, Shri Abhishek Banerjee’s inclusion brings both conviction and clarity to the table. His presence will not only reflect Bengal’s firm stand against terror but also strengthen India’s collective voice on the global stage," it added.
This comes a day after TMC MP Yusuf Pathan withdrew his name from the delegation. The party’s leadership stated that had not been consulted before his nomination, which led to the decision.
According to reports, following the controversy over the nomination of TMC MP Yusuf Pathan, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju reportedly reached out to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in an effort to defuse tensions. Rijiju sought her recommendation for a suitable party representative. He is believed to have acknowledged that the Trinamool Congress should have been consulted before nominating Pathan to the delegation.
Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday had stated that her party was not boycotting the Centre’s diplomatic initiative. She stated the party would participate once a formal request was received. "We were not contacted about this,” Banerjee told reporters at Kolkata airport. She also stressed that decisions about party representation must rest with the party leadership, not external agencies. "Nowadays, the system is that they do not inform the mother party but inform the parliamentary party. But the parliamentary party works for the Parliamentary sessions. They cannot make policy decisions," she added.
Abhishek Banerjee had earlier emphasised that any representative of the party must be nominated by its leadership and not by the BJP. “Operation Sindoor should be discussed on the world forum. The world must come together to collectively fight against terrorism and join hands against Pakistan… but how can the BJP decide who would represent our party? We haven’t boycotted anything,” he said.
