When My Services Are Required: Shashi Tharoor On Being Part Of All Party Delegations Abroad On Op Sindoor
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has been named among the leaders of seven all-party delegations that will travel to key partner countries later this month as part of India’s diplomatic efforts following Operation Sindoor. The delegations aim to convey India’s strong and united stand on zero-tolerance against terrorism.
According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the delegations will visit nations including members of the UN Security Council to assert India’s national consensus and unwavering approach to countering terrorism in all its forms. The move comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor and India’s continuing campaign against cross-border terrorism.
Each delegation will include Members of Parliament from various political parties, prominent political figures, and seasoned diplomats. Tharoor, representing Thiruvananthapuram in the Lok Sabha, will lead one such team. Others heading delegations include BJP MPs Ravi Shankar Prasad and Baijayant Panda, JDU’s Sanjay Kumar Jha, DMK’s Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, NCP’s Supriya Sule, and Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde.
Speaking about his role, Tharoor said, “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. When national interest is involved, and my services are required, I will not be found wanting. Jai Hind!”
The government’s decision to include Shashi Tharoor in the all-party delegations sparked controversy, as his name was not among the four proposed by the Congress. Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh clarified that the Congress President and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha had submitted the names of Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Raja Brar. Tharoor’s inclusion, despite being overlooked by his own party, drew attention, with many questioning why a seasoned diplomat and former Minister of State for External Affairs was not the Congress’s first choice for such a sensitive international assignment.
