TMC to choose envoy; Yusuf Pathan declines

New Delhi

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Yusuf Pathan, named by the Centre to join a diplomatic delegation abroad to explain India’s Operation Sindoor, has decided to opt out, according to party sources. The delegation, led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Jha, was set to visit countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Earlier, TMC’s Lok Sabha leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay also declined the offer due to health reasons.

TMC leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, emphasized that the party is not boycotting the government’s diplomatic effort. Instead, they want the party to have the freedom to select its own representatives for such missions.

Mamata Banerjee said the party needs formal communication from the Centre and explained that the parliamentary party discusses and decides such matters internally. She stressed that the TMC is fully supportive of the government’s efforts against terrorism.

Abhishek Banerjee added that the Centre cannot unilaterally decide party representatives. He offered to provide multiple names if requested and called for more consultation with opposition parties.

The Centre had announced seven delegations led by leaders from BJP, JDU, Shiv Sena, Congress, DMK, and NCP-SP, traveling to 32 countries and the EU to share India’s stand on terrorism after Operation Sindoor. The TMC’s position shows its willingness to participate, provided the party’s leadership is respected in the selection process.