Visible internal conflict, not national interest: Shazia Ilmi on Congress' reaction to Tharoor's inclusion

New Delhi [India], May 17 (ANI): BJP leader Shazia Ilmi on Saturday criticised the Congress party for its reaction to the Centre's announcement of the delegation to brief international leaders on Operation Sindoor, accusing the opposition of internal divisions that undermine its credibility on national security issues.
"This is Congress's biggest problem. There is visible internal conflict, but the party's agenda always takes precedence over the national interest. Now, when national security is being discussed, look at how Congress lacks trustworthy faces in this matter," Ilmi said.
She praised Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who was named as one of the representatives in the delegation, highlighting his diplomatic experience and commitment to the country.
"Shashi Tharoor has always prioritised the country over the party line. He has been a highly respected diplomat with over three decades of experience in international affairs," Ilmi added.
"Shashi Tharoor, however, keeps emphasising that the country comes first. He has been a highly respected diplomat with over three decades of experience in international affairs, and he understands foreign policy. He is well-respected among international diplomats and experts."
Ilmi also questioned Congress's failure to prioritise Tharoor in their own delegation proposals, pointing to internal conflicts.
"Shashi Tharoor is one of their most credible faces internationally, but they don't prioritize him. This is part of Congress's internal agenda, not India's national interest."
She further criticised Rahul Gandhi and Jairam Ramesh for supporting other names instead of Tharoor at a time when India needs a united front on terrorism.
"Congress is completely divided, and we all know about their internal strife. But the bigger question is: Why are Rahul Gandhi and Jairam Ramesh advocating for Gaurav Gogoi and not Shashi Tharoor? This is a major issue when the entire country is calling for strong action against Pakistan on an international level," she said.
Earlier, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh had criticised the government for excluding the party's proposed names from the delegation. He accused the Centre of dishonesty over the selection process.
"We were asked for names. We expected that the names we had given would be included. We hoped that the names given by the party would be included. But when we saw the press release of PIB, we were surprised. I cannot say what will happen now. Asking four names, giving four names, and announcing another name is dishonest on the government's part," Ramesh said.
Ramesh also referred to a letter written by Rahul Gandhi to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju recommending four names for the delegation.
"Yesterday (Tuesday) at 12.30 pm, Rahul ji wrote a letter to Kiren Rijiju and wrote 'Dear Shri Kiren Rijiju, I am writing in follow-up of a conversation with me and Kharge ji regarding the delegation for the Foreign Countries after discussing with Kharge ji I am sending you four names Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Raja Barar and Naseer Hussain,'" Ramesh stated.
The government has appointed seven MPs from various parties to lead the delegations: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, BJP leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad and Baijayant Panda, JDU leader Sanjay Kumar Jha, DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, and Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Eknath Shinde.
The delegations will visit key world capitals, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, and Japan, over a 10-day period starting May 23.
This marks the first time that the Centre has sent MPs from multiple parties to present a united national stance on Kashmir and cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives. The operation involved precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, reportedly killing over 100 terrorists. (ANI)