Congress Cries Foul Over Delegation Selections, Accuses Modi Govt of Partisanship

A political controversy has broken out over the Modi government’s decision on the composition of the All-Party Delegations being dispatched to key global capitals to present India’s stance on terrorism, particularly in the context of its recent counterterrorism efforts, including Operation Sindoor.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh has accused the government of “complete insincerity” and playing “cheap political games” with serious national issues. According to Ramesh, the Centre had asked the Congress for four names to be included in the delegations. These names were submitted by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha to the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs by noon on May 16. However, only one of the names was initially reflected in the list made public late on May 17.

“This proves the complete insincerity of the Modi government and shows the cheap political games it always plays on serious national issues,” Ramesh said in a sharply worded statement.

Despite the perceived snub, the Congress party has decided to participate. Ramesh confirmed that the Congress representatives included in the delegations at the instance of the government would join and contribute meaningfully. “The INC will not stoop to the pathetic level of the PM and the BJP. It will always uphold the finest traditions of parliamentary democracy and not play partisan politics on national security issues,” he said.

The Congress has also reiterated its demand for an all-party meeting chaired by the Prime Minister and a special session of Parliament to reaffirm the 1994 resolution on Jammu and Kashmir and to account for developments since then.

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, through a tweet by Kiren Rijiju, confirmed that the international outreach would comprise seven separate delegations led by Members of Parliament. These delegations are expected to visit key partner countries and members of the UN Security Council later this month, aiming to communicate India's united and firm stance against cross-border terrorism.

Initially, the government had named the following MPs to lead the delegations:

• Shashi Tharoor (Congress)

• Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP)

• Sanjay Kumar Jha (JD-U)

• Baijayant Panda (BJP)

• Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (DMK)

• Supriya Sule (NCP)

• Shrikant Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena)

However, further information has now emerged confirming that, in addition to Shashi Tharoor, three other Congress figures — MP Amar Singh, senior leader Salman Khurshid, and MP Manish Tewari — are also part of the delegation teams, although not in delegation leadership roles. This brings the total Congress representation to four, matching the number of names originally suggested by the party, albeit not all in prominent positions.

One mission. One message. One Bharat 🇮🇳
Seven All-Party Delegations will soon engage key nations under #OperationSindoor, reflecting our collective resolve against terrorism.

Here’s the list of MPs & delegations representing this united front. https://t.co/1igT7D21mZ pic.twitter.com/3eaZS21PbC

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) May 17, 2025

While the government portrays the delegations as a bipartisan initiative to present India’s united front on terrorism, the Congress maintains that the selection process lacked transparency and respect for democratic norms.

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