Congress sulks over government choice of its 4 leaders, Shashi Tharoor as a team head

He added, “The 4 eminent Congress MPs/leaders who have been included at the instance of the Modi Govt will, of course, go with the delegations and make their contributions. The INC will not stoop to the pathetic level of the PM and the BJP. It will always uphold the finest traditions of Parliamentary democracy and not play partisan politics on national security issues, like the BJP does. INC wishes the delegations all the very best. These delegations should not, however, divert attention from the INC’s demands to have all-paty meetings chaired by the PM and for a special session of Parliament to reiterate the resolution adopted on Feb 22 1994 while also taking note of developments thereafter.”

Among those who will head the seven delegations is Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor, former diplomat, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, and one whose explanation of the military action against Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam attack won him support across political lines.

The government had contacted Tharoor, his Lok Sabha colleagues Manish Tewari and Amar Singh, and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid to be part of the delegations. All of them are in different groups.

Earlier in the day, the party suggested the names of former Union Minister Anand Sharma; the party’s Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi; and MPs Syed Naseer Hussain and Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. Significantly, Tharoor’s name did not figure in the list suggested by the Congress — and neither the names of Tewari, Khurshid, and Singh.

After the government disclosed the composition of the delegations, it became clear that, barring Sharma, it had not considered any of the names the Congress had suggested. Tewari, Khurshid and Singh have been included as members of the delegations. In all, the Congress’s five MPs will be part of the Government’s diplomatic outreach.

Criticising the government for not convening an all-party meeting and a special session of Parliament, the Congress had Friday declared that it would “definitely be part” of the delegations as it “always takes a position in the supreme national interest and never politicises national security issues like the BJP does.”

A section of the party felt it was “churlish” on the part of Jairam Ramesh to have disclosed the names of its list of leaders even though the party said it was its prerogative to suggest the names.

Tharoor made it clear he would take part in the exercise in the national interest. “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!” he posted on X.

NCP (SP)’s Supriya Sule and DMK’s Kanimozhi, the two other Opposition MPs who will be leading the delegations, echoed similar views.

“I am honoured to join the all-party delegation representing India on the global stage. I humbly accept this responsibility and thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister Kiren Rijiju ji and the Ministry of External Affairs…Our mission is to convey India’s united and unwavering message of zero tolerance against terrorism. We stand as one nation—proud, strong, and unwavering,” said Sule.

“I am honoured to represent India and lead one of the delegations at this important time. The DMK has always stood for the integrity of the nation and the values enshrined in our Constitution….When it comes to the nation’s interest, we stand united—firm, clear, and unwavering,” said Kanimozhi.

Khurshid has been named in the delegation led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha which will travel to Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The development highlighted the divisions among leaders within the Congress.

On Friday, Ramesh reposted on X a comment by Udit Raj criticising P Chidambaram for his remarks on the INDIA alliance at a book launch. “Raj criticised Chidambaram and his son…such remarks against a very senior leader were endorsed by the communication department,” a leader said.

Another added: “That Shashi Tharoor’s is a forceful voice should be celebrated by the party…but its leadership sees that as a threat. Not including him in its own list shows deep insecurity.”

Indeed, Ramesh said the Congress was “shocked” by the government list. “What will happen next, I can’t say. Names are different. We did our duty. We were hoping that the government is asking for names with honest intentions. We didn’t know that they are doing it with a mischievous mentality,” Ramesh said.

Asked about Tharoor accepting the government’s proposal, Ramesh said: “Congress mein hona aur Congress ka hona mein zameen-aasmaan ka antar hai (There is a difference between those who are in the Congress and those who are of the Congress).”

“Such multi-party delegations are a normal practice in a democratic set up. Jawaharlal Nehru had made C Rajagopalachari a part of one such delegation in 1963. Indira Gandhi included Jayaprakash Narayan in a delegation. PV Narasimha Rao got Atal Bihari Vajpayee in one. But when an MP is nominated, he should also seek the concurrence of his party leadership,” Ramesh said.

Ramesh said that Rijiju spoke to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Gandhi around 10 am Friday and within the next two hours, Gandhi had written to the Centre submitting the Congress party’s picks for the delegations. “Rijiju gave no indication that the government would issue a press statement this morning announcing who would lead the seven delegations. The government cannot announce names without consulting us. We are not going to reconsider the names that we suggested,” Ramesh said.

A section of the Congress leadership has seen Tharoor’s public remarks on Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor as “supporting the government.” So much so that after a meeting of the party’s leadership earlier this week in Delhi, a leader, who did not wish to be identified, made it a point to tell the media that Tharoor had crossed the “Lakshman Rekha (red line)”.

Asked about Tharoor’s post on X expressing disappointment with US President Donald Trump’s posts on brokering a “ceasefire” and that India had neither requested nor was likely to seek any foreign country’s mediation, Ramesh had said at the press conference Wednesday, “That is his opinion. What Mr Tharoor says is not the opinion of the party.”

Tharoor said Ramesh was “absolutely correct” and that he was not a spokesperson of  the party or the government. “For whatever it is worth, people seem to think that I have some knowledge of some of these subjects. So, they come and ask me my views. And I make it very clear, sometimes implicitly and sometimes explicitly, that I am expressing my personal views as an Indian, as a proud citizen. And don’t forget that my own party had declared complete solidarity with the government and the armed forces at the beginning of this conflict,” said the Thiruvananthapuram MP.

On questions that his name was not among the four suggested by the Congress, Tharoor told reporters “the party is completely entitled to its opinion. Clearly, this being a government delegation, the government had its own opinion as to who they felt appropriate. And I am unaware of any further contact between the government and my party and you should ask those concerned.”

“As far as I am concerned, I was asked both in my capacity as the Chairman of a Parliamentary Standing Committee dealing with these issues but also because…very kindly the Minister talked about my personal experience over the years in international affairs and the need for that experience and such knowledge and such talents that I may possess to be put to the service of the nation at this time. And I found that absolutely essential… the answer to give ..that certainly when the nation needs my services I am available. And I am available for my country. To my mind, this has nothing to do with party politics. It is all to do with what our country has been through in recent times and the need for us to present a united front.”