Opposition agrees to join govt.’s diplomatic outreach on India-Pakistan conflict

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has reached retired to elder leaders from the Opposition and NDA arsenic the authorities gets acceptable to nonstop 8 delegations to different countries to contiguous India’s constituent of presumption connected the caller struggle with Pakistan. File. | Photo Credit: ANI

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has reached retired to elder leaders from the Opposition and the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) arsenic the authorities gets acceptable to nonstop 8 delegations to large countries successful Europe, West Asia and Africa, to contiguous India’s constituent of presumption on the caller struggle with Pakistan. 

According to sources, respective leaders person accepted the invitation.

The Hindu reported connected Thursday connected the government’s inaugural to enactment successful large governmental parties for a diplomatic outreach, enactment up a agreed beforehand against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, and explicate India’s presumption connected the struggle triggered by the Pahalgam attack.

These delegations, comprising astir 10 members each, volition person parliamentarians, erstwhile diplomats and strategical experts. The Ministry of External Affairs volition beryllium briefing the members successful a time oregon 2 with further details. 

Sources said Mr. Rijiju spoke to respective leaders betwixt Thursday nighttime and Friday morning. He called them to cheque their availability and willingness. The JD(U)‘s Sanjay Jha, the BJD’s Sasmit Patra, John Brittas of the CPI(M), Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Shiv Sena (UBT), Supriya Sule of the NCP (SP), the DMK’s K. Kanimozhi, the AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi and the AAP’s Vikramjit Sawhney are immoderate of the leaders whom Mr. Rijiju rang up. 

The authorities has tapped astatine slightest 4 Congress leaders for the tour. They are Lok Sabha MPs Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Amar Singh and erstwhile External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid. Mr. Tharoor, who has been nether occurrence for his caller remarks connected the negotiations betwixt India and Pakistan, has refused to corroborate oregon contradict his beingness successful the delegation. 

After the authorities reached retired to immoderate Congress leaders individually, enactment main Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi discussed the contented and nominated Anand Sharma arsenic good from the party. Mr. Sharma has held the Commerce and External Affairs portfolios successful the past. The authorities is insisting that Mr. Tharoor caput 1 of the delegations.

‘Double standard’

Meanwhile, Congress wide caput (communications) Jairam Ramesh, successful a station connected X questioned the treble modular of the government. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi called a gathering of lone NDA Chief Ministers connected May 25 to instrumentality “political mileage” from Operation Sindoor. “But helium present wants MPs from each parties to spell overseas arsenic a delegation for explaining India’s stance connected coercion from Pakistan. The diplomatic inaugural is severely needed but wherefore these treble standards.” 

He besides confirmed the Congress’s participation. “Keeping nationalist involvement supra all, the Congress volition surely articulation the delegation of multi-party MPs. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has spoken to the Congress president, who volition depute enactment leaders,” helium said. 

Trinamool Congress’ Lok Sabha person Sudip Bandhopadhyay, arsenic per sources, had declined the invitation citing his aesculapian information and the abbreviated notice. Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar besides spoke to Mr. Bandhopadhyay. It is not yet wide whether the Trinamool volition nominate different person successful his place. 

A elder functionary successful the DMK, portion confirming that Mr. Rijiju spoke to party’s parliamentary person Kanimozhi, said the authorities is yet to supply accusation connected the destination and different details. 

Under Operation Sindoor, India carried retired precision strikes connected panic infrastructure successful Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir aboriginal connected May 7 successful effect to the April 22 Pahalgam panic attack.

Published - May 16, 2025 10:20 p.m. IST