Kolkata, June 4 (UNI) Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee arrived in Kolkata at midnight on Tuesday after completing his foreign tour as part of a central government delegation tasked with raising international awareness about ‘Operation Sindoor,’ India’s military offensive against terror hubs in Pakistan following the Pahalgam massacre.
Although a meeting between the delegation members and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is scheduled for Wednesday, Banerjee told the media at Indira Gandhi International Airport that he would be unable to attend it due to pre-scheduled engagements.
Banerjee returned to Kolkata around 12:15 a.m. on Tuesday. He was part of a delegation that toured five countries over the course of nearly 15 days.
Speaking to media in the airport Banerjee said, “We have been travelling across various countries as part of an official delegation, engaging in discussions, and sharing India’s stance on key issues. The Ministry of External Affairs has scheduled a meeting on the 4th to review and discuss our experiences and observations from these visits. However, due to the duration of my stay abroad and the recent announcement of by-elections in Bengal, I have several pre-scheduled commitments that require my immediate attention over the next two to three days.”
“As a result, I will not be able to attend the scheduled meeting in person. I have already informed the authorities about my situation and conveyed that I will be submitting my feedback and observations in writing. This will ensure that my contributions to the delegation’s efforts are recorded and considered, even in my absence. I remain committed to the objectives of the mission and to continuing active participation through appropriate channels,” he added.
Following 'Operation Sindoor' and the India-Pakistan conflict, seven teams from an all-party delegation travelled to various countries to convey India’s stance against Pakistan to the international community.
Abhishek Banerjee visited Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. In these countries, he discussed not only the issue of terrorism but also raised concerns regarding Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
When the members of the delegation were being decided, the Centre initially announced the name of Baharampur MP Yusuf Pathan.
In response, Chief Minister and Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee stated that the Centre could not unilaterally decide which representative from which party would be included.
Following this, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju called Mamata Banerjee and requested her to nominate a representative of her choice. Subsequently, the Trinamool Congress finalised the name of Abhishek Banerjee in place of Yusuf Pathan.
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