New Delhi [India], May 17 : Congress MP Manickam Tagore alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sidelined the Opposition, and prior to 2014, Prime Ministers upheld Parliamentary dignity by consulting the Leader of Opposition for national delegations.
This comes after an all-party delegation is set to visit key partner countries to highlight India's ongoing fight against cross-border terrorism and Operation Sindoor.
In a post on X, Manickam Tagore shared, "Since Independence, PMs upheld Parliamentary dignity by consulting LoPs for national delegations. But post-2014, Modi has sidelined the Opposition, destroying established norms. Why this arrogance? Why break democratic traditions that united India globally?"
Earlier, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the government for not accepting all the names given by Congress party, and said that this is "dishonest on the government's part."
The government named Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in the list of seven MPs who would represent India at world forums, where they would brief world leaders on Operation Sindoor.
Jairam Ramesh asserted that the Congress is "not going to change" the names of four MPs for the government's proposed delegations to foreign countries to explain India's stance on terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
"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. It is possible that' Mr Rijiju had talked to Rahul ji and Kharge even after the government had made up their mind, but I am giving him the benefit of the doubt. But what happened is dishonest. We are not going to change these four names," Jairam Ramesh said.
"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 said, giving the details of the letter written to Kiren Rijiju by LoP Rahul Gandhi.
Jairam Ramesh asserted that all the people who are in Congress belong to Congress; and that there is a "huge difference between being in Congress and being of Congress."
He further said that the Congress party extended their support in everything, but today, when the names were announced, the party was "surprised."
"From April 22nd till now we were demanding that an all party meeting be called two meetings were held but it was a formality, PM did not come, Leaders of Opposition Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha wrote a letter for a special session should be called, there should be a detailed discussion, the purpose was that we should put our collective resolve in front of the country and the world, PM did not give any answer to this, suddenly we heard that an all party delegation will go, this shows that the narrative of the government has changed, we also welcomed this step, we said that whatever help we have to give in this diplomatic propaganda, we will do it, but the way the minister behaved, names were asked and today he announced it himself, this is not honesty, a game is being played," Jairam Ramesh alleged.
Earlier today, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the Indian National Congress (INC) has submitted names of four MPs for the government's proposed delegations to foreign countries to explain India's stance on terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
Curiously, the name of Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor was missing from the list that Jairam Ramesh says the Congress submitted to the Parliamentary Affairs Minister.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, however, named Tharoor in the list of seven MPs who would represent India at world forums where they would brief world leaders on Operation Sindoor. Tharoor has also accepted the government's proposal.