Congress slams Modi govt as only 1 out of 4 nominees named in diplomatic delegations

A fresh political storm has erupted over the Union government’s formation of multi-party delegations to represent India’s stance on Operation Sindoor, with the Congress party accusing the Centre of deliberately sidelining its suggested nominees in favor of political optics.

The controversy stems from what the Congress has called an act of “complete insincerity” and “cheap political games” by the Modi government, after just one of the four Congress names submitted for international delegations was included in the final list released late on May 17.

According to Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh, the party was asked by the government to submit four names for participation in the delegations on the morning of May 16. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha complied promptly, forwarding the names of senior leaders Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Nasir Hussain, and Raja Brar to the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs by noon the same day.

However, when the official list was released, only one Congress MP — Shashi Tharoor — was named among the seven-member teams. Notably, Tharoor was not one of the names proposed by the party, further fueling allegations of political manipulation.

In a sharply worded post on X, the Congress lashed out:

“This proves the complete insincerity of the Modi government and shows the cheap political games it always plays on serious national issues.”

Despite the snub, the Congress pledged that the included MPs would still participate in the delegations “in the national interest.” However, the party reiterated its demand for an all-party meeting chaired by the Prime Minister and called for a special session of Parliament to reaffirm India’s unified position on terrorism — first articulated in the 1994 resolution following Pakistan’s aggressive posture in Kashmir.

“This is not about one-upmanship or ego,” the party said. “It is about maintaining the sanctity of bipartisan consensus when it comes to national security. The Congress will never stoop to the level of partisanship on such critical issues — unlike the BJP.”

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, speaking to ANI, accused the government of acting in bad faith.

“The government had mischievous intentions from the beginning — we submitted four names, and they added four others not from our list.”

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, meanwhile, announced that the selected multi-party delegations will soon visit key strategic allies and UN Security Council members to brief them on the objectives and outcomes of Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 in retaliation to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.

The military operation, targeting terrorist launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, reportedly eliminated over 100 militants linked to groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. The strike prompted swift Pakistani retaliation, leading to further Indian counterattacks across multiple border locations.

While the international delegations are intended to solidify global understanding and support for India's anti-terror operations, the domestic political rift threatens to overshadow a rare moment of national consensus on foreign policy and defense.

With tensions mounting, the coming days may see increased pressure on the Modi government to rise above partisanship and re-engage Parliament in a united front against terrorism.