Abhishek Banerjee Joins Global Anti-Terror Delegation

Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee will represent his party in the all-party delegations set to visit several countries to present India’s position following Operation Sindoor. 

The decision came after Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju contacted West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday, a source revealed. During the call, Rijiju reportedly sought to “pacify” Mamata Banerjee and asked for her recommendation on who should represent the party in the diplomatic outreach.

Earlier, the Centre had named TMC MP and former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan as a member of one of the seven parliamentary teams designated to travel abroad and articulate India's approach to tackling terrorism in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. However, sources confirmed that Pathan later withdrew from the delegation. He did not issue any public comment regarding his decision to opt out.

Both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee had criticised the Centre’s initial move, contending that only the party could decide its representative for such initiatives. They argued that the government should have consulted them before naming any party MP to the outreach programme.

Abhishek Banerjee, widely considered the second-in-command in the party and the nephew of Mamata Banerjee, is expected to replace Yusuf Pathan in the delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha. Other members of this group include BJP MPs Aparajita Sarangi and Brij Lal, CPI(M)’s John Brittas, and MPs Prasan Baruah and Hemang Joshi.

The delegation is scheduled to depart on May 22 and will travel to five countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Ahead of the journey, the team will be briefed today by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

The TMC issued a statement confirming Abhishek Banerjee’s inclusion, saying, “At a time when the world must unite to confront the growing threat of terrorism, 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.”

Sources indicated that during her phone conversation with Rijiju, Mamata Banerjee recommended Abhishek Banerjee’s name and emphasised that the Centre should have consulted the party beforehand regarding the selection of its representative. Her dissatisfaction with the government’s unilateral decision had earlier prompted her to consider withdrawing the party from the outreach, though she agreed to participate after being contacted by the minister.

The international outreach, announced by the government on Saturday, is aimed at presenting a united national stance and India’s firm zero-tolerance policy on terrorism to the global community. It follows Operation Sindoor, during which Indian forces launched targeted strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Seven delegations will represent India as part of this initiative. They will be led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, BJP MPs Ravi Shankar Prasad and Baijayant Panda, JDU’s Sanjay Kumar Jha, NCP MP Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, and DMK MP Kanimozhi.