All-party delegation of 58 MPs to speak globally on terror; beyond politics, says Hyderabad MP Owaisi

New Delhi: Indian National Congress party nominated Anand Sharma, a former Union minister and three-time Member of Parliament, Gaurav Gogoi, deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Syed Naseer Hussain, Rajya Sabha member and Amarinder Singh Raja ‘Warring Brar’ Lok Sabha member for the all-party delegation to represent India’s stance against terrorism, in the wake of the recent border escalation with Pakistan.

However, only Anand Sharma has been announced so far, while others have not been considered, as per the names announced by Parliamentary Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju on X.

Seven political parties in India are a part of the 58 Members of Parliament who will visit 32 countries and European Union headquarters to convey India’s resolve to tackle terrorism against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor.

‘BJP asked Congress to recommend names but went with its own list’

The names of Congresspersons announced for the all-party delegation are Dr Amar Singh, Manish Tiwari and Salman Khurshid, who have not been recommended by the Congress party.

Congress general secretary-communications Jairam Ramesh said, “Parliamentary Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju had spoken to Congress senior leaders and asked for four names. But we were surprised that the names included in the delegation have not been recommended by us.”

“The BJP, as a formality, called Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and asked for names from the party. And the party gave the names with sincere intention, with no malicious mindset. However, they had already decided who to include and exclude,” he said.

“While Congress is playing by the rules, the BJP is targeting the bodyline,” he remarked, drawing parallels with cricket where bodyline bowling is considered against the rules.

‘No politics but questions must be answered in Parliament Special Session’

Ramesh said, “We do not want to politicise the visit of the all-party delegation as the country remains one and united to fight against terrorism and teach Pakistan a lesson. However, the people of the country need to know the developments of the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor and the subsequent ceasefire. We demand a special session of Parliament to discuss these sensitive issues. We need to know why the United States of America's president Donald Trump is making statements on behalf of India.”

Hyderabad MP Owaisi in delegation

Hyderabad Member of Parliament All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Asaduddin Owaisi is a part of the group which will be led by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Baijayant Panda and they are scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Algeria. The delegation also includes BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.

Speaking about the initiative, Asaduddin Owaisi said, “This is not about any party affiliation. We will have a more detailed meeting before leaving. This is an important task. I will try my best to fulfil this responsibility well.”

Other delegations to send India’s message

The second group, led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, will visit the UK, France, Germany, the EU, Italy and Denmark.

The third group, led by JDU MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, will visit Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and Singapore. This delegation will include Yusuf Pathan of Trinamool Congress and John Brittas of CPI(M).

The fourth group, led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde, will visit the UAE, Liberia, Congo and Sierra Leone. The delegation will also include BJP’s Bansuri Swaraj and BJD’s Sasmit Patra.

The fifth delegation, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, will visit the US, Panama, Guyana, Brazil and Colombia.

The sixth delegation, led by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, will visit Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Latvia and Russia.

The seventh group, led by NCP (SCP) MP Supriya Sule, will visit Egypt, Qatar, Ethiopia and South Africa. This delegation will also include BJP’s Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Anurag Singh Thakur, as well as Congress MP Manish Tewari.