Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who was part of an all-party delegation visiting several countries, has confirmed he will not attend the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) meeting scheduled for Thursday.
Speaking in Kolkata after returning from the tour, Banerjee said he has already informed the EAM’s office about his unavailability. He added that he would instead submit his observations on the tour in writing.
Banerjee was a member of the delegation led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, formed as part of India’s global outreach following Operation Sindoor – the military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
The delegation, comprising MPs from JD(U), BJP, Congress, CPI(M), and Trinamool Congress, visited Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia over the past 15 days.
“We had toured five countries during the last 15 days. We attended several meetings. On Thursday, the External Affairs Minister will convene a meeting. But I will not be able to attend that. I have some pre-scheduled engagements. I was out of the country for some time. The Election Commission announced the by-election for Kaliganj. I have some work in my Parliamentary area. Will be busy with that for the next few days. I will inform the External Affairs Ministry about my opinion in writing. Once I inform the ministry, I will speak on that matter,” Banerjee told reporters.
Initially, Trinamool Congress MP and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan, elected from Baharampur in Murshidabad, nominated as the party’s representative in the delegation.
However, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee objected to the selection process, alleging that the Centre had chosen Pathan without consulting the party leadership, including the CM.
Following the objection, Yusuf Pathan’s name was withdrawn, and Abhishek Banerjee was named as the replacement.
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