Mamata Banerjee Nominates Abhishek Banerjee for Modi Govt’s Southeast Asia Diplomatic Delegation After High Drama
The Trinamool Congress finally confirmed its participation in the post-Operation Sindoor all-party diplomatic mission after forty hours of intense speculation and internal conflict.
The party’s chief, Mamata Banerjee, nominated her nephew and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee for the Southeast and East Asia delegation.
Yusuf Pathan Withdraws, Abhishek Steps In
On Sunday night, the Trinamool Congress asked its Behrampore MP, Yusuf Pathan, to step down from the team led by JD(U)’s Sanjay Jha. This delegation is scheduled to visit Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore.
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, who had independently named Pathan, met Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday in a reconciliatory effort. During the meeting, Mamata proposed Abhishek as the replacement.
An announcement followed on X stating, “At a time when the world must unite to confront the growing threat of terrorism, Shri Abhishek Banerjee’s inclusion brings both conviction and clarity to the table.”
The Trinamool Congress added, “His presence will not only reflect Bengal’s firm stand against terror but also strengthen India’s collective voice on the global stage.”
Trinamool’s state general secretary, Kunal Ghosh, soon confirmed Rijiju’s call to Mamata.
Abhishek, who was in Delhi for a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, had earlier said that families of those killed in the Pahalgam terror attack and members of the armed forces involved in Operation Sindoor would be more appropriate to represent the country in this diplomatic initiative, alongside politicians and diplomats.
BJP Responds Cautiously, Opposition Reacts
The BJP, which was vocal in its criticism on Monday, refrained from further comment following Mamata’s decision. However, Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the Bengal Assembly, condemned Mamata for allegedly running a diarchy.
He stated, “It is a parivarvadi party, which could not tolerate Yusuf Pathan being selected by the Centre. He was forced to withdraw, and she said her party will not participate unless she is asked to pick the representative. When asked, she immediately named her nephew.”
BJP insiders admitted they considered exposing what they termed “a rank act of nepotism,” but held back due to the diplomatic nature of the mission, which is closely associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s international outreach strategy.
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that there were others in Trinamool who could have been selected. “As soon as someone both Modi and Didi like (Abhishek) was agreed on, the friction is a closed chapter,” he commented.
Abhishek’s Questions at Parliamentary Committee Meeting
At the external affairs committee meeting on Monday, Abhishek posed two pointed questions to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
He asked whether India had officially protested against US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire announcement before consulting the Indian government.
He also inquired how the terrorists who executed the Pahalgam attack managed to enter Indian territory, whether they had been identified, and what their current status was.
Sources said Misri did not respond to the Trump query and stated that the Union home or defence secretary would be more suited to address the question about the terrorists.
Trinamool Officially Confirms Participation
Following the developments, the Trinamool Congress confirmed that Abhishek Banerjee would represent the party in the all-party delegations traveling abroad to communicate India’s position post Operation Sindoor.
A source stated the decision came after Kiren Rijiju called Mamata Banerjee to “pacify” her and seek her input on the party’s representative.
Trinamool said in a post on X, “Smt Mamata Banerjee nominates Shri Abhishek Banerjee to represent us in the all-party delegation for India’s global stand against terrorism. His voice will echo India’s commitment to peace, justice and global cooperation.”
Centre’s Delegation Plans
Earlier, the Centre had named Yusuf Pathan for one of the seven diplomatic delegations headed to various countries to present India’s anti-terrorism stance in light of Operation Sindoor. However, he opted out after Trinamool objected.
Both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee had made it clear that the Centre should not decide who the party sends to represent it in any delegation.
The Centre had already announced the members of the seven teams on Sunday. These delegations consist of political leaders, parliamentarians, and former ministers from several parties.
The delegations will be led by Baijayant Panda and Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP), Sanjay Kumar Jha (JD-U), Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena), Shashi Tharoor (Congress), Kanimozhi (DMK), and Supriya Sule (NCP-SP). They will travel to 32 countries and the EU headquarters in Brussels.
