Congress Slams Modi Government Over Diplomatic Delegation Picks
Congress Alleges Political Games in Diplomatic Delegation Choices
The Congress party has lashed out at the government, accusing it of playing partisan politics with national security after only one out of four of the party’s nominees was selected for diplomatic delegations aimed at promoting India’s stance against terrorism.
Jairam Ramesh, a Congress leader, took to social media to express his disappointment. He stated that on May 16th, the Modi government requested the Congress to submit four names of MPs or leaders to represent the party on these delegations. He emphasized that these names were promptly provided to the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs by noon on the same day.
However, Ramesh revealed that late on May 17th, the government released the final list of delegation members. Sadly, only Anand Sharma, one of the four Congress nominees, was included.
Congress Names vs. Government Picks
Ramesh listed the four Congress members nominated as Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. He highlighted that the government, however, included four other Congress leaders – Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Amar Singh, and Salman Khurshid – in the delegations despite them not being on the Congress’ initial list.
This move, according to Ramesh, demonstrates the “complete insincerity” of the Narendra Modi government and their tendency to engage in “cheap political games” on serious national issues.
Despite the criticism, Ramesh stated that the four Congress members chosen by the government will participate in the delegations and contribute their expertise.
Congress Calls for All-Party Dialogue
Ramesh emphasized that the Congress will not engage in the same level of political maneuvering as the BJP and will uphold the principles of parliamentary democracy. He urged the government to hold all-party meetings led by Prime Minister Modi and convene a special session of Parliament to reaffirm the nation’s commitment to combating terrorism, drawing on a resolution adopted in 1994 and considering recent developments.
The Congress wished the delegations well in their endeavors.
Delegation Details
Seven delegations, each consisting of seven to eight political leaders accompanied by former diplomats, will visit 32 countries and the European Union headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
The delegation leaders include Baijayant Panda and Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP), Sanjay Kumar Jha (JDU), Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena), Shashi Tharoor (Congress), Kanimozhi (DMK), and Supriya Sule (NCP-SP).
Of the 51 political leaders selected, 31 belong to the ruling NDA coalition, while the remaining 20 represent non-NDA parties. The delegations also include former Union Ministers such as Ghulam Nabi Azad, M J Akbar, Anand Sharma, V Muraleedharan, Salman Khurshid, and S S Ahluwalia, who are not currently members of Parliament.
