Tharoor-led MPs to visit US
NEW DELHI, May 17:
Opposition leaders Shashi Tharoor and Kanimozhi will join members of the ruling alliance, including Ravi Shankar Prasad and Sanjay Jha, in leading seven all-party delegations to key partner countries to convey India’s message of zero tolerance against terrorism following Operation Sindoor.
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The other MPs picked by the Government to present India’s “national consensus” in fighting terrorism before the world, including to UN Security Council members, are NCP-SP’s Supriya Sule, BJP’s Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda and Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde.
A statement issued by the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry on Saturday said, “The all-party delegations will project India’s national consensus and resolute approach to combating terrorism in all forms and manifestations.
“They would carry forth to the world the country’s strong message of zero tolerance against terrorism.”
Sources said the delegations will be travelling to four of the five permanent Security Council members and not visit China, which has long been a Pakistan ally.
While the delegation led by Congress MP Tharoor will visit the US, Panda’s group, which includes AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi and BJP’s Nishikant Dubey, will travel to western European countries such as the UK and France, both UNSC members.
The delegation led by DMK MP Kanimozhi will travel to Russia, another UNSC member.
The sources said the delegation led by BJP MP Prasad is expected to visit Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Algeria, while Sule’s team of MPs will be travelling to Oman, Kenya, South Africa and Egypt.
The delegation led by JD(U) MP Jha is likely to visit Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population.
Shinde’s team of parliamentarians are likely to visit some Gulf and African countries. Each delegation with six to seven MPs may visit around four to five countries, the sources said.
The Government has made a careful selection of leaders who will head the delegations as they come from parties across the political divide and are considered articulate voices.
The leaders — four from the ruling National Democratic Alliance and three from the opposition INDIA bloc — include seasoned lawmakers with long stints in public life.
In a post on X, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “In moments that matter most, Bharat stands united. Seven All-Party Delegations will soon visit key partner nations, carrying our shared message of zero-tolerance to terrorism.”
Sharing the Ministry’s statement, he said, “A powerful reflection of national unity above politics, beyond differences.”
The statement said the proposed visits of the seven all-party delegations come in the context of Operation Sindoor and India’s continued fight against cross-border terrorism.
MPs from different parties, including Anurag Thakur, Aparajita Sarangi, Manish Tewari, Amar Singh, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Samik Bhattacharya, Brij Lal, Sarfaraz Ahmad, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Vikramjit Sawhney, Sasmit Patra and Bhubaneswar Kalita, will be part of these delegations, sources have said.
Meanwhile, J&K’s former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, National Conference MP for Anantnag- Rajouri segment, Mian Altaf Ahmad and nominated Rajya Sabha MP, Ghulam Ali Khatana would be part of the All- Party delegations.
As per a report, Azad, who has also served as Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, would be part of the delegation headed by BJP MP Baijayant Panda.
The delegation led by Panda would visit Saudi Arabia, Panama, Guyana, Brazil and Colombia.
As per details, NC MP Mian Altaf Ahmad would be part of the delegation led by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi. It will visit Spain, Greece, Latvia and Russia.
Rajya Sabha nominated MP Ghulam Ali Khatana would be part of the delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, which will visit UK, France, Germany, EU, Italy and Denmark. (Agencies)
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