TMC, Shiv Sena (UBT) to join Centre’s diplomatic offensive against terror after call from Kiren Rijiju

Minister Kiren Rijiju reached retired to West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee and Shiv Sena (UBT) main Uddhav Thackeray, aft they pulled retired their MPs from multi-party delegations. File | Photo Credit: Ravi Choudhary

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju reached retired to West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee and Shiv Sena (UBT) main Uddhav Thackeray, aft they opposed information of their MPs without consultation to multi-party delegations headed to planetary capitals arsenic portion of the government’s planetary outreach against terror.

After Mr. Rijiju’s call, the Trinamool reversed its determination to boycott the sheet and the Sena (UBT) endorsed the government’s selection.

TMC nominated the party’s nationalist wide secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee, replacing the government’s prime of MP Yusuf Pathan. On Monday (May 20, 2025), Ms. Banerjee had said that nary TMC MP would enactment since determination was nary ceremonial petition from the government.

After Mr. Rijiju’s telephone connected Tuesday (May 20, 2025), the enactment said, successful a station connected X, “We’re delighted to stock that our Chairperson Smt. @MamataOfficial has nominated Nat’l GS Shri @abhishekaitc to correspond Trinamool Congress successful the all-party delegation for India’s planetary outreach against terrorism.” 

It added that, astatine a clip erstwhile the satellite indispensable unite to face the increasing menace of terrorism, Mr. Banerjee’s inclusion brings some condemnation and clarity to the table. “His beingness volition not lone bespeak Bengal’s steadfast basal against panic but besides fortify India’s corporate dependable connected the planetary stage,” it said.

‘National interest’

The Shiv Sena (UBT), which had called for a boycott of the multi-party delegation, besides announced its enactment for the government’s outreach successful the “national interest”. While stating that the Centre should travel the protocol of keeping parties successful the loop to debar “chaos and mismanagement”, it endorsed the information of Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, who was portion of the government’s archetypal database of delegates.

“Union Minister Kiren Rijiju spoke to Uddhav Thackeray implicit the telephone connected Sunday (May 18, 2025) to sermon his party’s information successful the all-party delegations visiting assorted countries,” the Sena (UBT) said successful a station connected X.

The enactment said it was reassured that the delegations were astir articulating India’s basal against coercion and not astir politics. “On being reassured, we person besides assured the authorities that we volition bash what is close and what is needed for our state via this delegation,” the Sena (UBT) said.

Though it volition proceed to question an mentation astir the “intelligence failure” successful the Pahalgam panic onslaught successful which 26 persons were killed, the Sena (UBT) besides stressed that Pakistan-based coercion should beryllium exposed.

“We person reaffirmed our enactment for immoderate specified enactment successful the nationalist interest. We person besides demanded an all-party gathering which should beryllium chaired by the Prime Minister astatine the earliest, to sermon [developments ranging from] Pahalgam to Operation Sindoor,” it said.

‘Brief Parliament first’

The Opposition has protested the government’s determination to take delegation members without consulting immoderate of the enactment leaders. The Congress was archetypal to rise the issue. Mr. Rijiju has besides reached retired to Congress Parliamentarians earlier speaking to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. 

In a station connected X, Communist Party of India wide caput D. Raja said that the constitution of the multi-party delegations has been marked by “opacity” and “exclusion”. He said governmental parties were neither consulted nor briefed connected the matter, and determination was “no clarity” connected the mandate of these delegations. He besides underlined that the government’s diplomatic violative precedes immoderate treatment connected the contented successful Indian Parliament. 

“It is unacceptable that overseas governments volition beryllium briefed portion India’s ain Parliament and radical stay successful the dark,” helium said connected X.

Published - May 20, 2025 11:34 p.m. IST