NEW DELHI, May 17 — Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor accepted an invitation from the Centre to head one of the government’s global delegations under Operation Sindoor, despite not being among the names officially submitted by the Congress party.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced the formation of seven all-party delegations to visit key partner countries as part of India’s diplomatic campaign to underscore its zero-tolerance policy on cross-border terrorism. Tharoor was named among the MPs set to lead the effort — alongside Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP), Sanjay Kumar Jha (JDU), Baijayant Panda (BJP), Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (DMK), Supriya Sule (NCP), and Shrikant Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena).
Tharoor, a former Minister of State for External Affairs, promptly accepted the government’s request. “I am honoured by the invitation of the Government of India to lead an all-party delegation to five key capitals, to present our nation’s point of view on recent events,” he posted on X. “When national interest is involved, and my services are required, I will not be found wanting. Jai Hind!”
However, the Congress quickly distanced itself from Tharoor’s inclusion. Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh revealed that the Congress president had already submitted four different names to the government for the international outreach: Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Raja Brar.
“In response to a request from the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs yesterday morning, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha wrote to the minister by noon on May 16, proposing four Congress MPs — Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Naseer Hussain, and Raja Brar — to be part of the all-party delegations,” Ramesh posted on X.
He added that though the government had earlier discussed other Congress names — including Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Salman Khurshid, and Amar Singh — the party had ultimately decided not to nominate any of them.
Despite this internal contradiction, Tharoor maintained his position, framing his participation as a matter of national duty.
Rijiju had earlier outlined the objective of the delegations: “These all-party groups will project India’s national consensus and resolute approach to combating terrorism in all forms. They will carry forth the country’s strong message of zero-tolerance against terrorism to key partner nations, including members of the UN Security Council.”
The initiative, coming in the wake of Operation Sindoor — India’s intensified global campaign to expose Pakistan’s alleged terror links — is seen as an attempt to build unified international support across party lines.
NCP’s Supriya Sule also confirmed her participation, adding momentum to the government’s effort to present a bipartisan front abroad.
Still, the Congress’s mixed signals and the exclusion of its nominated names have sparked speculation over coordination gaps within the opposition camp, even as the Centre moves forward with its diplomatic push.
