Mamata 'forced' TMC MP Yusuf Pathan to opt out from multi-party delegation: BJP

New Delhi: The BJP on Monday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of forcing TMC MP Yusuf Pathan to opt out from the multi-party diplomatic delegation, terming it “unfortunate”.

TMC sources said Pathan, named by the Centre in one of the delegations, has opted out of the tour, even as the party insisted it is not boycotting the diplomatic effort and only wants that it should be allowed to pick its representative.

Pathan's name was announced as part of a delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Jha that is set to go to Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and Singapore to convey India's message on Operation Sindoor.

Reacting sharply, BJP co-incharge for West Bengal Amit Malviya said in a post on X, “West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision to force the TMC MP to withdraw from the multi-party delegation is unfortunate.” This is a government of India’s delegation and it should have been kept above partisan politics, Malviya said, maintaining that Members of Parliament (MPs) are representatives of the people as well.

“It sends a subliminal message that Mamata Banerjee and her party are unwilling to speak out against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism,” the BJP leader charged.

“What is worse is that while a caucus of senior party apparatchiks prevailed, likely because they were not part of the delegation, other senior TMC MPs are now sending feelers to be included,” he said, adding, “After all, it is a matter of national pride to represent the country at such a moment”.

Malviya slammed Banerjee, accusing her of representing the “worst kind of politics”.

“Unfortunately, West Bengal is bearing the brunt of it,” he said, adding, “Let us not forget that a hostile demographic shift is staring the state in the face.” While the TMC sources did not specify the reason for Pathan's decision to opt out from the delegation, both Mamata Banerjee and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday said that the Centre should not decide the party's nominee to the delegations.

Banerjee, speaking to the media at the Kolkata airport, also said her party was not boycotting the Centre's multi-party diplomatic mission aimed at countering Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and would send its representatives once a formal request is received from the Centre.

“We will definitely send a representative if they inform us. Why wouldn’t we? There is no point of controversy here. We are fully with the government," she said.

The Centre on Sunday announced the names of members of seven delegationswhich will consist of political leaders, parliamentarians and former ministers from various parties, travelling to world capitals to put across India's resolve to tackle terrorism against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor.

The delegations are being led by Baijayant Panda, Ravi Shankar Prasad (both BJP), Sanjay Kumar Jha (JDU), Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena), Shashi Tharoor (Congress), Kanimozhi (DMK) and Supriya Sule (NCP-SP), and will visit a total of 32 countries and the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.