Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee has been officially nominated to represent the party in the high-level all-party diplomatic delegations formed by the Indian government to present India’s position on terrorism globally in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor.
The move comes after an intervention by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who reportedly called TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to seek her inputs and “pacify” concerns over the initial selection of delegates.
“Smt Mamata Banerjee nominates Shri Abhishek Banerjee to represent us in the all-party delegation for India’s global stand against terrorism. His voice will echo India’s commitment to peace, justice and global cooperation,” the Trinamool Congress stated in a post on X.
Yusuf Pathan Opts Out, TMC Asserts Autonomy
Earlier, the Centre had included TMC MP and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan in one of the seven delegations. However, Pathan opted out, reportedly after internal party objections.
On Monday, both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee publicly asserted that the Centre must not dictate the choice of party representatives for multi-party foreign delegations.
“The Centre cannot decide who will represent Trinamool. That is the party’s decision,” Abhishek Banerjee had said, underscoring the importance of party autonomy in national diplomacy.
The seven delegations — each comprising members from across the political spectrum — will visit 32 countries and the European Union (EU) headquarters in Brussels to brief international partners on India’s counter-terrorism strategy, particularly in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.
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The attack, allegedly orchestrated from Pakistani soil, prompted India to launch Operation Sindoor, a multi-domain offensive targeting terror launchpads in Pakistan and PoK. The delegations aim to explain India’s actions and seek global support for its zero-tolerance policy on terrorism.
Who’s Leading the All-Party Delegations?
The seven teams include a wide representation of Indian political parties and are led by: Baijayant Panda and Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP), Sanjay Kumar Jha (JD-U), Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena), Shashi Tharoor (Congress), Kanimozhi (DMK) and Supriya Sule (NCP-SP).
These leaders will travel to strategic global capitals including Washington, London, Paris, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Berlin, and Brussels, making India’s case for a unified global stance on cross-border terrorism.
TMC Position on Terrorism and Diplomacy
The Trinamool Congress reiterated its strong opposition to terrorism but emphasized that party representation in diplomatic initiatives must reflect internal party decisions, not unilateral choices by the Centre.
By selecting Abhishek Banerjee, the party is placing a key national voice at the heart of India’s global narrative post-Operation Sindoor.
