Jairam Ramesh accuses Centre of 'cheap politics' after suggested Congress MPs excluded in delegation

New Delhi [India], May 18 (ANI): Congress General Secretary in charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh on Sunday accused the Central government of playing "cheap politics" and indulging in "politicisation" by not including all the names recommended by the Opposition for the all-party parliamentary delegation which is set to visit key partner countries to highlight India's ongoing fight against cross-border terrorism and Operation Sindoor.
Jairam Ramesh alleged that despite formally submitting four names on request, the government ignored most of them, undermining parliamentary conventions and trust between the Opposition and the ruling party.
Speaking to ANI, Jairam Ramesh said, "On May 16, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju reached out on behalf of the Central government to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and requested four names from the party to join the multi-party parliamentary group."
"Responding promptly, Rahul Gandhi submitted a list comprising senior leaders Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Nasir Hussain, and Raja Barar, before noon the same day," he said.
Ramesh said the government picked only one name from the list--Anand Sharma--and arbitrarily replaced the others with names not suggested by Congress.
"We gave the names they asked for, yet only one was included. This shows that the government's intention was already a mischievous one and this game was being played so that the formality of asking us ends," he alleged.
Ramesh claimed that the whole exercise appeared to be a formality to claim that talks were held, but in reality, it was mere damage control.
"I believe this was politicisation, which should not have been done. They should have sincerely done this. There should be trust between the Opposition and the ruling party. There is a parliamentary system, there is a tradition that when you want to choose MPs of a party, you have to speak to the concerned leaders of the party," he said.
"Why did Kiren Rijiju come and ask for names from Rahul Gandhi and Kharge ji. Well, this narrative has been lost. This is just damage control. The way they have behaved with Congress is cheap politics, mischief. When you asked us for names, why did you not include them? We sat and deliberated for two hours, then gave the names," said Ramesh.
Adding further, he said, "The names suggested by the Congress were good MPs, influential. They were not just seasoned lawmakers but also influential voices in Parliament with significant contributions. When you request names from the Opposition, there is a parliamentary convention to respect that."
"Everyone can see that Operation Sindoor is being politicised. US President Donald Trump's repeated claims--made at least seven times--that the conflict was de-escalated due to US mediation. Yet, PM Modi has not responded. The EAM is silent." Ramesh said.
Ramesh also condemned recent statements made by two ministers from Madhya Pradesh, which he described as "deeply insulting" to armed forces personnel and to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who led troops during Operation Sindoor.
He reiterated that the Congress party has always prioritised national interest over politics, and called for the government to do the same.
"The Centre has done as per their wish, included only one name from the list given by us, the four other names were chosen by them. They aren't representatives of the party. Let the MPs go, even those from the Congress, we will not stop them, we will not boycott this delegation. We do not politicise it. We should end the discussion here. There are other important issues too," he added.
"The real issue is terrorism. The mastermind of terrorism is Pakistan. The way Pakistan's deep state is behind terrorism is the issue. Kashmir is not the issue, it will be discussed only in the Parliament," said Ramesh.
The all-party delegations will project India's national consensus and resolute approach to combating terrorism in all forms and manifestations. They would carry forth to the world the country's strong message of zero tolerance against terrorism.
According to Congress, the party had submitted four names to the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs by May 16, but the final list released late on May 17 included only one of the suggested names.
The list includes MPs from multiple parties, divided into seven groups of 8-9 members. A leader has been assigned for each group, who will lead the delegation at a global level.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, while posting the list on Saturday, also highlighted how the Members of Parliament have shown a united stance of "One mission. One message. One Bharat."
The all-party delegation will project India's national consensus and resolute approach to combating terrorism in all forms and manifestations. They would carry forth to the world the country's strong message of zero tolerance against terrorism.
The Members of Parliament from different parties, prominent political personalities, and distinguished diplomats will be part of each delegation.
This came after India's decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the death of over 100 terrorists affiliated with terror outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.
After the attack, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling across the Line of Control and Jammu and Kashmir as well as attempted drone attacks along the border regions, following which India launched a coordinated attack and damaged radar infrastructure, communication centres and airfields across 11 airbases in Pakistan. (ANI)