Yusuf Pathan out, Abhishek Banerjee picked for 'Operation Sindoor' outreach
What's the story
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee has been picked to be part of the parliamentary delegation that will carry India's anti-terror message to the world, a day after Yusuf Pathan opted out.
After Pathan's decision, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju called West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and asked for her advice on choosing a representation for the delegation, sources told News18.
Mamata, in turn, suggested her nephew's name.
Twitter Post
TMC announces nomination
We’re delighted to share that our Chairperson Smt. @MamataOfficial has nominated Nat'l GS Shri @abhishekaitc to represent Trinamool Congress in the all-party delegation for India’s global outreach against terrorism.
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) May 20, 2025
At a time when the world must unite to confront the growing…
Security stance
Banerjee emphasizes TMC's support for national security
Before this major development, Abhishek, commenting on the parliamentary delegation, said the Centre should be sending the family members of the martyrs or the survivors, instead of party leaders.
"When it comes to representing the country, we should jointly agree and unanimously come to a consensus that instead of sending the Parliamentarians, we should be sending the family members of the martyrs or the survivors. We should be sending the brave armed forces, the officers, who have led Operation Sindoor."
TMC
Party not consulted: TMC
The TMC had initially stated that it was pulling out Pathan from the 'Operation Sindoor' global outreach program since the decision to include the former cricketer was taken without consulting the TMC.
"How can the Union Government decide on the representative of Trinamool? They should have held discussions with the opposition to decide which representative a party will send," said Abhishek.
Mission
'One Mission, One Message, One Bharat' initiative launched
The "One Mission, One Message, One Bharat" initiative was launched by the Indian government to combat global misinformation on terrorism.
It comes after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.
The program includes seven all-party delegations of MPs visiting over 30 partner nations to highlight India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism and its response through Operation Sindoor.