Shashi Tharoor among 7 MPs to brief nations on India-Pakistan conflict

New Delhi|May,17 : Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has been selected to lead one of the seven all-party delegations of MPs that the government plans to send abroad to brief key foreign governments on the recent India-Pakistan conflict and India’s stance on the issue. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs announced on Saturday the names of the leaders who will represent India in its diplomatic outreach following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent Indian retaliatory operation, Operation Sindoor.
Tharoor’s name as an MP to lead the delegation comes as he publicly backed the government’s handling of the India-Pakistan flare-up and Operation Sindoor. His remarks in support of the government’s military action reportedly caused internal friction and some Congress leaders expressed disapproval.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, announcing the names, stressed, “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. A powerful reflection of national unity above politics, beyond differences,” he tweeted.
Alongside Tharoor, the other MPs leading the delegations include: Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP), Sanjay Kumar Jha (JDU),
Baijayant Panda (BJP), Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (DMK), Supriya Sule (NCP)and Shrikant Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena). Reports said that Shashi Tharoor is likely to lead the Indian outreach to the US, the most powerful global voice. Ravi Shankar Prasad-led delegation is expected to visit Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Algeria, while Supriya Sule’s team will travel to Oman, Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt.
The delegation headed by Sanjay Jha is likely to cover Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, and Indonesia—the countries with the largest Muslim population. Each delegation, consisting of six to seven MPs, is expected to visit around four to five countries. The members of these delegations will represent a broad spectrum of political parties, including MPs like Anurag Thakur, Aparajita Sarangi, Manish Tewari, Asaduddin Owaisi, Amar Singh, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Samik Bhattacharya, Brij Lal, Sarfaraz Ahmad, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Vikramjit Sawhney, Sasmit Patra, and Bhubaneswar Kalita. Former Union Minister and Congress leader Salman Khurshid, although not an MP, has been included in the delegation led by Jha. The government also invited Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay to join the outreach, but he declined due to health reasons. Tharoor, responding to the announcement, said he was “honoured by the invitation” from the government, adding, “When national interest is involved, and my services are required, I will not be found wanting”. Commenting on the submission of names for the delegations, he said, “We were asked for four names, and we provided four names. However, I cannot speak on behalf of any individual.”