Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday stated that the government never asked political parties to suggest names for the multi-party delegations formed to convey India’s message abroad as part of Operation Sindoor. He emphasized that members were chosen directly by the government, including leaders from the Opposition, and urged the Opposition not to politicize the issue.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Rijiju said, “No party was asked to suggest names for the multi-party delegations for rallying global support for India’s war against terror originating from Pakistan. The government has picked leaders including those from the Opposition and contacted them directly but the Opposition should not make it an issue as they are on a solemn duty representing the country, not a party.”

He added that the delegations were for a “solemn duty” representing India’s interests and called for unity, requesting Opposition cooperation with the government’s efforts.

Rijiju further explained that the government, like the parliamentary presiding officers, exercises discretion in selecting MPs for foreign visits without consulting party leadership. “When the Lok Sabha Speaker or the Rajya Sabha Chairman selects MPs for foreign visits, they never consult their party leadership. It’s the discretion of the presiding officers. It’s the same with the government,” he said.

The Minister also claimed to have personally informed Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge about the delegations after the members were selected. “I called Leaders of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge and informed them about the delegations. It was after the government picked the members (of the delegations). Rahul Gandhi said he would get back after discussing with Kharge ji. Then he sent the list with four names. But by that time we had selected the members. The call was just a courtesy,” Rijiju said. He added that ex-Union Minister Anand Sharma, whose name appeared on one delegation, was part of the Congress’s suggested list.

However, the Congress strongly rejected Rijiju’s version, calling it “a lie.” Congress Communications In-charge Jairam Ramesh said that after Rijiju’s conversation with Congress president Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on May 16, Rahul Gandhi immediately sent a formal letter listing four Congress nominees for the delegations. According to Ramesh, the government had already decided on members by then but selected one from the Congress list — Anand Sharma. The Congress clarified that the names included senior and experienced MPs such as former foreign minister Salman Khurshid, Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Amarinder Singh Raja Warring.

The Congress also noted that some MPs included by the government, like Manish Tewari, Amar Singh, and Salman Khurshid, were not on their submitted list, and pointed out that Shashi Tharoor, who heads one delegation, was not proposed by the party.

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced it would not send its lone nominated MP, Yusuf Pathan, or any other member to these delegations. TMC chief Mamata Banerjee stated the government had not consulted her party and insisted that such nominations should follow party consent. She said, “They (Centre) cannot decide the name (of TMC representative) on their own. If they request the mother party, the party will decide the name. This is customary and is the system. We are totally with the Centre regarding the foreign policy.”

The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between the Modi government and Opposition parties concerning the representation and decision-making in high-profile diplomatic missions. As India seeks to rally global support against terrorism under Operation Sindoor, the discord over delegation compositions reflects political undercurrents challenging national unity on foreign policy issues.

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